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BEFORE  THE  THRONE 


BY 


GEORGE  DARSIE 


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Before   the  Throne 


'Lord,  Teach  Us  How  to  Pray" 


By 
GEORGE  DARSIE 


CINCINNATI 

The  Standard  Publishing  Company 


Copyrighted,  1914,  by 
The  Standard  Publishing  Company 


To  Clara 

My  faithful  wife,  whose  unceasing  prayers, 
sustaining  helpfulness,  sympathizing  support,  con- 
stant love  and  affection,  and  abiding  faith  and 
spirituality  have  been  a  never-failing  source  of 
inspiration  and  strength,  this  prayer  volume  is 
lovingly  dedicated. 


21350S5 


PREFACE 

David  supplies  the  logic  of  prayer.  He 
is  the  author  of  its  fine  syllogism.  His 
major  premise  is: 

"If  I  regard  iniquity  in  my  heart, 
The  Lord  will  not  hear." 

His  minor  premise  is: 

"But  verily  God  hath  heard; 
He   hath  attended   to   the  voice  of  my 
prayer." 

His  conclusion  is: 

"Blessed  be  God, 

Who  hath  not  turned  away  my  prayer, 

Nor  his  lovingkindness  from  me." 

Every  one,  eminent  in  piety,  accepts 
this  conclusion.  He  believes  in  the  per- 
sonal audience  the  heavenly  Father  gives 
to  every  supplicating  cry  uttered  by  his 
lips.  He  holds  that  every  prayer  of  faith 


vi  PREFACE 

rings  the  door-bell  of  heaven,  and  secures 
a  certain  response.  God  can  hear,  and 
he  does  hear.  God  can  help,  and  he  does 
help.  God  can  answer,  and  he  does 
answer.  God  has  not  withdrawn  from 
this  world  and  left  it  to  run  itself.  He 
is  not  far  from  any  one  of  us.  Every 
ray  of  sunshine  is  the  smile  of  his  love. 
Every  breath  of  the  wind  is  the  whisper 
of  his  voice.  The  blue  sky  that  bends  over 
us  is  but  the  visible  image  of  his  loving 
bosom  holding  myriad  worlds  in  the  infi- 
nite depths  of  its  tenderness.  When  we 
kneel,  he  sees  us.  When  we  pray,  he 
hears  us.  He  has  a  special,  separate,  dis- 
criminating, personal,  constant  interest  in 
every  child. 

To  pray  is  a  privilege  to  be  prized, 
appreciated  and  improved.  To  pray  ac- 
ceptably and  persuasively  is  a  cultivation 
the  rarest  and  choicest  in  the  possession 
of  the  human  heart.  To  develop  prayer- 
fulness  is  an  aim  worthy  the  ambition 
of  the  greatest  as  well  as  the  hum- 
blest Christian.  It  will  contribute  to 
his  spiritual  life  and  growth  as  nothing 


PREFACE  vii 

else  in  which  he  engages  can  possibly 
do.  It  will  supply  an  essential  part  of 
his  Christian  armor  for  his  warfare  with 
sin  and  Satan.  It  will  keep  him  in  living 
contact  and  perpetual  conversation  with 
the  Friend  "that  sticketh  closer  than  a 
brother." 

"I  tell  Him  all  my  sorrows, 

I  tell  Him  all  my  joys ; 
I  tell  Him  all  that  pleases  me, 

I  tell  Him  what  annoys. 
He  tells  me  what  I  ought  to  do, 

He  tells  me  what  to  try, 
And  so  we  talk  together, 

My  Lord  and  I." 

GEORGE  DARSIE. 

Terrt  Haute,   Indiana. 


RECOGNITION 

When  a  student  in  Bethany  College,  I 
read  three  articles  which  greatly  profited 
me.  They  were  from  the  pen  of  one 
whose  influence  on  my  life  has  been 
greater  than  that  of  any  one  man.  They 
were  entitled  "What  Prayer  is  For," 
"Prayers  of  Ignorance"  and  "Rejected 
Answers."  The  chapters  on  "The  Bene- 
fits of  Praying  for  Others,"  "Not  Know- 
ing What  He  Said"  and  "The  Knocking 
Peter"  were  suggested  by  them.  The 
illuminating  essays  and  uplifting  sermons 
of  Wm.  M.  Taylor  and  Henry  Ward 
Beecher  have  been  most  suggestive  in 
the  preparation  of  the  contents  of  this 
book.  E.  J.  Meacham,  at  whose  invita- 
tion the  following  chapters  were  first 
prepared  for  the  pages  of  The  Lookout, 
has  proven  a  wise  and  discerning  coun- 
selor. "Render  to  all  their  dues;  tribute 
to  whom  tribute  is  due — honor  to  whom 
honor."  GEORGE  DARSIE. 


CONTENTS 


I.  PAGE 

BEFORE  THE  THRONE 5 

II. 
THE  EFFECT  OF  PRAYER  ON  GOD 15 

III. 
THE  EFFECT  OF  PRAYER  ON  HIM  WHO  PRAYS 21 

IV. 
WHAT  PRAYER  MUST  BE  TO  BE  EFFECTIVE 29 

V. 
IMPORTUNATE  PRAYER 37 

VI. 
"PRAY  ONE  FOR  ANOTHER" 45 

VII. 
THE  BENEFITS  OF  PRAYING  FOR  OTHERS 53 

VIII. 
THE  PRAYING  CHRIST 61 

IX. 
A  PRAYING.  CHURCH 69 

X. 

A  FITTING  PRAYER 79 

zi 


xii  CONTENTS 

XI. 
"Nor  KNOWING  WHAT  HE  SAID" 89 

XII. 
THE  KNOCKING  PETER 97 

XIII. 
A  THRILLING  PRAYER 107 

XIV. 
"!N  His  NAME" 119 

XV. 
LET  Us  PRAY 127 


BEFORE  THE  THRONE 


(»)  l 


I. 

BEFORE  THE  THRONE 


I. 

BEFORE  THE  THRONE. 

"Prayer  is  the  key  to  the  morning,  and 
the  bolt  of  the  evening." 

"Prayer  is  the  Christian's  vital  breath, 

The  Christian's  native  air; 
His  watchword  at  the  gate  of  death, 
He  enters  heaven  with  prayer." 

It  is  the  soul's  sincere  expression  to 
God.  It  touches  every  faculty,  passion, 
feeling  and  emotion  of  the  being  in  its 
wide  sweep.  It  brings  us  before  the 
throne  in  sweet  and  intimate  fellowship 
and  communion.  And  there  we  should 
be  often — 

In  "supplications"  The  love  of  the 
world  is  strong  within  us.  Its  ambitions 
beckon,  its  pleasures  appeal,  its  aims  and 
fashions  and  practices  allure.  The  mur- 
muring streams,  mossy  banks,  refreshing 
shades  and  fragrant  flowers,  which  adorn 
its  broad  way  at  its  entrance,  furnish  a 
glamour  that  wins  and  grips.  Oh,  how 


6  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

we  need  to  be  before  the  throne  in  "sup- 
plications" most  frequent,  that  the  evil  of 
the  world  may  be  averted,  that  we  may 
not  become  its  slavish  devotees,  or  go 
with  the  crowd  to  moral  destruction. 

We  should  be  before  the  throne  in 
"prayers"  for  every  spiritual  blessing  in 
Christ  Jesus.  We  are  by  nature  blind 
and  ignorant.  We  know  not  God  or  our- 
selves. We  are  in  darkness  as  to  our 
origin,  duty  and  destiny.  We  want,  oh, 
how  we  want,  the  light!  How  faint  and 
feeble  the  light  of  reason,  science,  philos- 
ophy. But  how  sure  and  safe  the  light 
which  streams  from  the  sunlit  hills  of 
God's  word  on  all  the  great  and  thrilling 
questions  of  life,  death  and  immortality. 
And  with  the  Bible  open  before  us  we 
come  before  the  throne  and  pray: 

"Open  thou  my  eyes,  that  I  may  behold 
Wondrous  things  out  of  thy  law." 

Oh!  the  hours  of  weakness  which  we 
all  have.  How  little  able  we  are  to 
meet  life's  fierce  temptations,  life's  awful 
battles,  life's  unrelenting  foes.  How  un- 


BEFORE    THE   THRONE  7 

equal  seems  the  struggle.  How  certain 
our  disastrous  defeat.  But  hold,  ye  fear- 
ful and  unbelieving,  "they  that  be  for  us 
are  greater  than  those  who  are  against 
us."  To  the  throne,  to  the  throne,  you 
must  go !  Trust  not  the  struggle  to  your 
own  feeble  strength,  rest  not  in  the  fail- 
ing arm  of  flesh,  but  in  the  everlasting 
arm  of  Him  who  will  always  be  your 
refuge  and  your  strength.  Let  your 
prayer  forever  be: 

"I  need  Thy  presence  every  passing  hour ; 
What    but    thy    grace    can    foil    the    tempter's 

power? 

Who,  like  Thyself,  my  guide  and  stay  can  be? 
Through  cloud  and  sunshine,  O  abide  with  me." 

When  the  rude  blasts  of  sorrow  blow, 
when  deep  calleth  unto  deep  at  the  noise 
of  God's  waterspouts,  when  all  his  waves 
and  billows  have  gone  over  you,  there  is 
only  one  unfailing  source  of  help,  and 
that  is  to  God's  throne  for  comfort.  The 
hand  that  smites  can  heal.  He  who  sends 
the  sorrow  provides  the  balm.  Oh,  tired, 
heart-broken  sufferer,  God  is  only  trying 
to  make  you  lift  up  your  heart  to  him. 


8  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

"Joy  of  the  desolate,  light  of  the  straying ; 

Hope  of  the  penitent,  fadeless  and  pure; 
Here  speaks  the  Comforter,  tenderly  saying, 

Earth  has  no   sorrow   that   Heaven   can   not 
cure." 

Learn  to  pray:  O  gracious  God,  lead 
me  into  the  deep,  dark  waters,  but  give 
me  thyself.  Rob  me  of  all  I  prize,  but 
so  it  give  me  more  of  thee.  Take  me 
even  through  the  valley  of  the  thickest, 
blackest  shadows,  but  if  it  bring  me 
before  thy  throne,  and  give  me  thy 
rod  and  thy  staff  to  comfort,  all  shall 
be  well. 

It  is  not  great  single  burdens  which 
crush  people  so  much  as  a  combination 
of  little  burdens,  cares  and  anxieties. 
Afflictions,  misfortunes,  calamities  come 
usually  one  at  a  time  and  at  long  in- 
tervals, but  the  countless  cares  of  life 
that  cease  not  to  wear  and  grind — that 
never  let  up — that  harass  and  worry  day 
in  and  day  out,  year  in  and  year  out, 
they  are  the  things  that  more  than  all 
else  crush  us  to  earth  and  leave  us  pros- 
trate. It  is  not  the  weight  of  calamity, 


BEFORE    THE    THRONE  9 

but  the  ''weight  of  care,  that  crushes  into 
dumb  despair."  How  many  with  Long- 
fellow feel  to  say  and  to  sing: 

"My  heart  was  hot  and  restless, 
And  my  life  was  full  of  care, 
And  the  burden  laid  upon  me 

Seemed  greater  than  I  could  bear." 

If  you  could  but  lift  care  from  the 
shoulders  and  hearts  of  men  and  women, 
what  a  relief  and  benefaction  it  would  be 
to  mankind.  But  you  can  not;  only  God 
can.  Therefore,  go  before  his  throne  for 
rest  and  peace.  To  a  longing  how  deep 
and  universal  does  Jesus  appeal  when 
he  says,  "Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that 
labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will 
give  you  rest" — rest  from  the  burdens 
of  worry  and  care.  What  a  responsive 
and  harmonious  chord  does  the  apostle 
Peter  strike  within  us  when  he  urges, 
"Cast  all  thy  anxiety  on  God,  for  he  is 
anxious  for  you."  He  does  not  ask  you 
to  share  your  anxieties  with  him,  but  to 
give  them  to  him.  He  is  strong  to  bear 
them.  They  are  heavy  for  you,  but,  oh, 
how  light  for  him! 


10  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

"I  bring,  I  bring  them  all  to  Thee, 
The  burden  is  too  great  for  me." 

Before  the  throne  we  should  come  in 
"intercessions"  The  very  word  is  sug- 
gestive of  "others"  He  would  have  us 
remember  before  his  throne  "others." 
He  would  have  us  swallow  up  our  self- 
love  in  a  broadening  love  for  them.  In- 
tercede in  their  behalf. 

Let  us  come  before  the  throne  of  God 
in  "thanksgivings"  It  is  easy  to  make 
gifts,  but  it  is  hard  to  receive  them 
graciously.  "I  thank  you"  should  be 
ceaselessly  in  our  hearts  and  upon  our 
lips  when  we  come  before  the  throne. 
What  have  we  not  for  which  to  thank 
God?  The  contemplation  of  all  our  mer- 
cies overwhelms  our  thoughts.  Peace 
reigns.  The  arts  of  peace  flourish.  Our 
schools,  colleges,  seminaries,  universities, 
churches  grow  and  prosper.  Telegraph, 
telephone,  railroad  systems  multiply  and 
expand.  The  field,  forest,  vineyard,  or- 
chard, the  mine,  the  meadow,  the  gar- 
den are  abundant  in  products.  Great 
harvests  fill  our  large  storehouses.  Man- 


BEFORE   THE   THRONE  11 

ufacturing,  commercial,  mercantile  and 
mechanical  interests  abound  in  activity. 
Wealth  increases.  Contagion  is  stayed. 
The  health  of  the  people  is  remarkable. 
The  gospel  of  Christ  is  the  power  of  God 
unto  the  salvation  of  individuals  and 
nations  in  every  soil  and  clime  of  the 
whole  round  world.  Christ  is  able  every- 
where to  seek  and  to  save  the  sinful  and 
lost.  The  spirit  of  sincere  and  devout 
thanksgiving  should  possess  usv  God  is 
wondrously  good  to  us.  Let  us  remem- 
ber the  source  of  all  blessings.  Let 
every  mercy  bring  us  to  his  feet.  Let 
every  gift  of  his  grace  and  of  his  provi- 
dence impress  us  with  his  abundant  sup- 
ply of  every  needed  thing.  Let  us  see 
God  everywhere,  always  and  in  every- 
thing. Let  us  come  before  his  throne 
and  say: 

"Bless  Jehovah,  O  my  soul, 
And  forget  not  all  his  benefits: 
Who  forgiveth  all  thine  iniquities; 
Who  healeth  all  thy  diseases ; 
Who  redeemeth  thy  life  from  destruc- 
tion; 


12  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

Who  crowneth  thee  with  lovingkindness 

and  tender  mercies." 
Let  us  pray  in  the  words  of  Joseph 
Addison : 

"When  all  thy  mercies,  O  my  God, 

My  rising  soul  surveys, 
Transported  with  the  view, 

I'm  lost  in  wonder,  love  and  praise. 

"Unnumbered  comforts  on  my  soul 

Thy  tender  care  bestowed, 
Before  my  infant  heart  conceived 
From  whom  those  comforts  flowed. 

"When  in  the  slippery  paths  of  youth 

With  heedless  steps  I  ran, 
Thine  arm,  unseen,  conveyed  me  safe 
And  led  me  up  to  man. 

"Ten  thousand  thousand  precious  gifts 

My  daily  thanks  employ ; 
Nor  is  the  least  a  cheerful  heart 
That  tastes  those  gifts  with  joy. 

"Through  all  eternity,  to  Thee 

A  joyful  song  I'll  raise ; 
But  oh !  eternity's  too  short 
To  utter  all  Thy  praise!" 


II. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  PRAYER 
ON  GOD 


II. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  PRAYER  ON  GOD. 

The  common  belief  that  the  only  value 
of  prayer  is  to  be  found  in  the  reflex 
benefit  to  the  soul  in  the  act  of  praying 
is  as  absurd  and  ridiculous  as  to  say  that 
the  sole  benefit  of  eating  is  to  strengthen 
the  muscles  of  the  jaw,  or  that  the  sole 
benefit  of  breathing  is  to  strengthen  the 
muscles  of  the  chest.  As  well  might  a 
physician  advise  his  patient  to  take  a  long 
walk  every  morning  to  a  certain  spring 
to  drink  of  its  water,  knowing  all  the 
while  that  the  spring  was  dry,  but  ex- 
pecting the  benefit  to  come  from  the 
walk.  No  physician  would  thus  trifle 
with  a  patient.  Nor  would  God  com- 
mand his  people  to  pray,  and  then  say, 
"It  makes  no  difference,  as  to  results, 
whether  you  pray  or  not." 

The  first  condition  to  'all  prayer  is 
faith,  and  it  is  impossible  without  it. 
"He  that  cometh  to  God  must  believe 

15 


16  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

that  he  is,  and  that  he  is  a  rewarder  of 
them  that  seek  after  him."  Now,  the 
man  who  says  that  God  doesn't  hear, 
and  yet  who  approaches  and  prays  God 
to  give  him  what  he  doesn't  believe  he 
will  give  him,  flings  insult  into  God's 
face  and  is  the  best  illustration  I  know 
of  what  men  call  a  "pious  fraud."  It 
makes  prayer  a  farce,  a  mockery,  a 
hypocrisy. 

The  reflex  influence  of  prayer  on  the 
soul  is  impossible  unless  we  are  assured 
that  God  hears  and  answers  it.  There 
can  be  no  earnestness  and  fervency,  no 
soul  or  spirit  in  it  on  the  part  of  him 
who  prays  without  firm  belief  in  its  ef- 
ficacy. Take  away  that  faith,  and  prayer 
is  a  pure  formality,  an  unmeaning  pro- 
nouncing of  idle  words.  It  is  the  "effec- 
tual fervent  prayer  of  the  righteous  man 
that  availeth  much."  And  no  man  can 
pray  thus  unless  he  believes  that  his 
prayer  will  have  weight  with  God.  The 
reflex  influence  and  benefit  of  prayer  is 
the  result  of  belief  in  its  efiicacy. 

To  doubt  the  efiicacy  of  prayer  is  to 


EFFECT   OF    PRAYER   ON    GOD      17 

doubt  God  and  his  word.  Downright  in- 
fidelity has  no  more  virulent  form  than 
this.  It  gives  the  lie  to  hundreds  of 
passages.  It  makes  God  a  willful  de- 
ceiver and  falsifier.  It  makes  the  history 
of  his  people  from  the  beginning  till  now 
a  myth.  It  changes  the  whole  character 
of  the  Bible.  Jesus  says,  "If  ye  shall 
ask  anything  of  the  Father,  he  will  give 
it  you  in  my  name."  "Ask,  and  it  shall 
be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye  shall  find; 
knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto  you: 
for  every  one  that  asketh  receiveth;  and 
he  that  seeketh  findeth;  and  to  him  that 
knocketh  it  shall  be  opened."  It  was 
Hezekiah's  piteous  pleadings  which  se- 
cured to  him  fifteen  years'  lease  of  life 
after  God  had  warned  him  "to  put  his 
house  in  order."  When  Elijah  wanted 
to  blight  the  land  of  Israel  because  of 
its  own  and  its  king's  idolatry,  to  restore 
the  widow  of  Zarephath's  son,  to  bring 
down  fire  from  heaven  to  consume  his 
sacrifice  on  Carmel,  to  end  the  three  and 
a  half  years  of  drought  with  rain,  he 
had  recourse  to  God  in  prayer,  and  not 

(3) 


18  BEFORE    THE    THRONE 

once  did  the  answer  fail.  Abraham,  Ja- 
cob, Hannah,  David,  Solomon,  Elisha, 
Daniel  and  Cornelius  talked  to  God  in 
prayer  as  a  dutiful  child  talks  to  a  con- 
siderate father,  and  always  found  "the 
Lord  God  merciful  and  gracious,  long- 
suffering  and  abundant  in  goodness  and 
truth." 

It  is  the  experience  of  Christian  people 
in  all  ages  that  prayer  prevails  with  God. 
It  is  the  conviction  of  every  pious  heart. 

"More  things  are  wrought  by  prayer 

Than  this  world  dreams  of.     Wherefore  let  thy 

voice 

Rise  like  a  fountain  for  me  night  and  day. 
For  what  are  men  better  than  sheep  or  goats, 
That  nourish  a  blind  life  within  the  brain, 
If,  knowing  God,  they  lift  not  hands  of  prayer 
Both  for  themselves  and  those  who  call  them 

friend  ? 

For  so  the  whole  round  earth  is  every  way 
Bound  by  gold  chains  about  the  feet  of  God." 


Ill 

THE  EFFECT  OF  PRAYER 
ON  HIM  WHO  PRAYS 


19 


III. 

THE  EFFECT  OF  PRAYER  ON  HIM  WHO 
PRAYS. 

Prayer  brings  our  wills  into  submis- 
sion to  God.  It  enables  us  to  practice 
what  Joseph  Cook  styles  "similarity  of 
feeling  with  God."  A  higher  Christian 
attainment  it  were  impossible  to  acquire 
than  the  sanctification  of  the  will,  saying, 
"Not  my  will,  but  thine,  be  done." 

Prayer  brings  divine  strength  to  every 
life.  When  in  the  Garden  of  Gethsem- 
ane  the  Master  had  prayed  three  times, 
"there  appeared  unto  him  an  angel  from 
heaven,  strengthening  him."  There  are 
two  ways  to  rid  us  of  an  awful  burden: 
1.  Take  it  away.  2.  Give  us  strength 
to  bear  it.  The  prayer  of  Jesus  was 
for  help  to  drink  the  cup  that  would  set 
free  a  guilt-laden  humanity  and  save  the 
world.  And  that  is  what  he  received. 
And  that  was  the  answer  to  Paul's  thrice- 
repeated  petition  for  the  removal  of  his 
21 


22  BEFORE   THE    THRONE 

thorn  in  the  flesh:  "My  grace  is  sufficient 
for  thee:  for  my  power  is  made  perfect 
in  weakness."  And  Paul  adds:  "Most 
gladly  therefore  will  I  rather  glory  in 
my  weakness,  that  the  strength  of  Christ 
may  rest  upon  me." 

"Are  we  weak  and  heavy-laden, 

Cumbered  with  a  load  of  care? 

Precious  Saviour,  still  our  refuge, 

Take  it  to  the  Lord  in  prayer." 

"Let  us  therefore  draw  near  with  bold- 
ness unto  the  throne  of  grace,  that  we 
may  receive  mercy,  and  find  grace  to  help 
in  time  of  need." 

As  a  spiritual  exercise,  prayer  is 
strengthening.  We  do  not  get  the  soul 
in  different  ways,  under  different  laws, 
from  those  in  which  we  get  the  body  and 
mind.  If  a  man  does  not  exercise  his 
arm,  he  develops  no  biceps  muscle;  and  if 
he  does  not  exercise  his  soul,  he  acquires 
no  muscle  in  his  soul,  no  strength  of 
character,  no  vigor  of  moral  fiber,  no 
beauty  of  spiritual  growth.  Prayer  ex- 
ercises the  soul,  as  the  gymnasium  does 
the  body.  It  develops  a  rich,  strong, 


EFFECT    ON    HIM    WHO    PRAYS     23 

vigorous,    well-rounded    Christian    char- 
acter. 

It  is  a  source  of  comfort  to  tell  our 
troubles  to  God.  That  of  itself  will  lift 
the  load  from  us.  When  we  have  told 
a  loving  friend  about  any  trial  or  sorrow, 
how  that  lightens  it.  When  another  feels 
our  woe  and  we  know  it,  how  much  that 
helps  us  to  bear  it.  When  John's  dis- 
ciples had  sorrowfully  buried  their  be- 
loved leader,  "they  went  and  told  Jesus." 
To  whom  else  could  they  so  well  go?  It 
brought  them  the  needed  comfort.  When 
Hezekiah  received  Sennacherib's  threat- 
ening letter,  "He  went  up  into  the  house 
of  Jehovah,  and  spread  it  before  Jeho- 
vah." What  a  human  thing  to  do!  It 
brought  him  the  reassurance  he  craved. 
When  Elijah's  fit  of  despondency  was 
upon  him,  he  poured  out  his  soul  to  God 
in  a  frightfully  jaundiced  outlook  for 
his  people  and  the  country  in  general. 
God  came  to  his  rescue  in  a  complete  re- 
covery of  his  natural  elasticity  by  abun- 
dant food  and  rest,  and  sent  him  back  to 
finish  the  work  he  had  given  him  to  do. 


24  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

And  when  we  come  before  our  Father 
to  tell  him  our  cares,  how  in  so  doing 
they  roll  from  our  weary  hearts  into  his 
great  heart,  and  there  comes  forth  from 
him  the  sustaining  power  of  an  almighty 
grace  that  soothes  and  rests  and  cheers 
and  strengthens  in  our  bitter  need. 

Prayer  has  a  transforming  influence 
upon  the  life  and  character.  Of  Christ 
it  is  written:  "As  he  was  praying,  the 
fashion  of  his  countenance  was  altered, 
and  his  raiment  became  white  and  daz- 
zling." One  night  of  prayer  changed 
the  whole  character  and  career  of  Jacob. 
He  wrestled  with  the  celestial  messenger 
from  the  skies  till  the  break  of  day,  when 
his  importunate  wrestling  prevails  and  all 
he  asks  is  given.  He  is  entirely  a  new 
man,  and,  to  express  this  fact,  his  name 
is  changed  from  Jacob,  the  supplanter,  to 
Israel,  the  prince  of  God.  We,  too,  come 
forth  from  seasons  of  prayer  changed, 
elevated,  ennobled,  transfigured  in  life 
and  character. 

Oliver  Wendell  Holmes,  speaking  of 
the  inspiriting  influence  of  certain  com- 


EFFECT   ON    HIM    WHO    PRAYS     25 

panics  of  great  men  into  which  he  was 
thrown,  said  that  the  atmosphere  of  in- 
tellect and  sentiment  with  which  they 
surrounded  him  was  so  much  more  stim- 
ulating than  wine  that  if  he  took  liquors 
for  any  purpose  it  would  be  to  keep  him 
sober!  In  just  such  a  way  prayer  brings 
us  into  a  celestial  company  whose  spirit- 
ual atmosphere  exhilarates  like  mountain 
air  and  stimulates  like  a  sea  breeze.  It 
keeps  us  in  tune  with  the  Infinite.  It 
makes  real  to  us  the  divine  promises,  "I 
will  never  leave  you,  nor  forsake  you;" 
"Lo,  I  am  with  you  alway,  even  unto  the 
end  of  the  world."  It  secures  the  Holy 
Spirit  as  an  abiding  guest  in  every  pious 
heart  to  perform  his  threefold  ministry — 
to  comfort,  to  strengthen  and  to  sanctify. 


IV. 

WHAT  PRAYER  MUST  BE 
TO  BE  EFFECTIVE 


27 


IV. 

WHAT  PRAYER  MUST  BE  TO  BE 
EFFECTIVE. 

1.  Secret.     We  can  pray — blessed 
thought — anywhere.     But  the  best  place 
for  availing  prayer  is  the  closet.     Here 
all  is  secret.     And  the  great  powers  are 
secret  powers.     "The  foliage  of  the  vine- 
yard is  woven  in  secret  looms,  and  the 
juices  of  the  grape  are  distilled  in  sub- 
terranean laboratories."    The  power  that 
swings  the  earth  on  its  axis  and  holds 
the  planets   in   their   places   is  a  secret 
power.     Jesus  loved  secret  prayer.     And 
when  teaching  his  disciples  how  to  pray, 
he  said:  "But  thou,  when  thou  prayest, 
enter  into  thine  inner  chamber,  and  hav- 
ing shut  thy  door,  pray  to  thy  Father 
which  is  in  secret,  and  thy  Father  which 
seeth  in  secret  shall  recompense  thee." 

2.  Humble.     Those  who  stand  firmest 
in   the   presence   of   sin  bow   lowest   in 
the  presence  of  God.     Moses,  who  never 


30  BEFORE    THE    THRONE 

cringed  in  the  presence  of  Pharaoh,  took 
off  his  shoes  at  the  burning  bush.  Eli- 
jah, who  on  Mount  Carmel  resembled 
the  oak,  the  king  of  the  forest,  when 
he  came  to  pray  for  rain,  "cast  himself 
down  upon  the  earth,  and  put  his  face 
between  his  knees."  Paul,  when  discuss- 
ing with  men,  claimed  that  his  call  and 
gifts  were  second  to  none  of  the  apostles, 
but,  when  looking  into  the  face  of  God, 
confessed  himself  "the  chief  of  sinners." 
That  is  ever  the  spirit  of  effective  prayer. 
It  is  the  way  of  the  publican  and  not  of 
the  Pharisee. 

3.  Definite.  Many  prayers  are  indefi- 
nite, abounding  in  circumlocution  and  in 
pointless  generalities.  They  are  like  the 
Spanish  sailors  in  Santiago  Bay  who  shot 
at  random,  or  the  mimic  battle  where 
powder  alone  is  used.  Having  no  defi- 
nite object  in  mind,  when  the  regular 
time  comes  for  prayer,  the  lips  do  their 
best  by  repeating  stereotyped  phrases  in- 
herited from  others.  We  should  know 
what  we  want,  and  ask  for  it.  When  we 
enter  a  store,  we  do  not  ask  for  every- 


WHAT    PRAYER    MUST    BE         31 

thing  on  the  shelves,  but  only  for  the 
things  we  want,  and  the  salesman  hands 
them  to  us.  There  is  too  much  pointless 
praying  which  starts  after  nothing  and 
ends  nowhere.  The  poor  publican  was 
definite,  "Lord,  be  merciful  to  me  a 
sinner."  Blind  Bartimaeus  was  definite, 
''Lord,  that  I  might  receive  my  sight." 
The  dying  thief  was  definite,  "Remember 
me  when  thou  comest  in  thy  kingdom." 
4.  Active.  There  is  a  logical  connec- 
tion between  our  prayers  and  our  activity 
in  the  direction  of  our  petitions.  A  little 
boy  heard  his  father  ask  the  Lord  to 
feed  a  destitute  family  near  by,  and  the 
child  said,  "Papa,  if  you  will  give  me  the 
keys,  I  will  answer  your  prayer  by  taking 
those  hungry  people  something  to  eat." 
We  should  not  ask  God  to  do  what  we 
should  do.  If  we  expect  a  letter  to  reach 
its  destination,  we  stamp  it;  otherwise 
we  know  it  will  go  to  the  Dead-letter 
Office.  Uncle  Sam  will  do  his  part,  but 
we  must  do  ours  also.  There  is  a  dead- 
prayer  office,  too,  and  thousands  of  well- 
worded  and  eloquent  petitions  are  buried 


32  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

there.  Wives  pray  for  the  conversion 
of  husbands,  and  teachers  for  scholars, 
but  what  are  they  doing  for  their  con- 
version? It  is  right  for  a  penitent  sinner 
to  plead,  like  the  publican,  for  mercy, 
or,  like  Paul,  for  light,  and  that  his 
friends  should  do  likewise.  But  these 
prayers  avail  nothing  when  accompanied 
by  inconsistent  disobedience.  We  pray 
for  daily  bread,  but  not  for  bread  in 
violation  of  God's  law.  We  plow,  sow, 
reap,  garner,  grind  and  bake,  and  so 
meet  God  where  he  promises  to  meet  us. 
The  man  who  prays  for  daily  bread,  and 
folds  his  arms  and  does  nothing,  may 
think  he  is  trusting  God;  but  really  he  is 
tempting  God  to  let  him  starve.  So  also 
the  sinner  who  prays  to  God  to  forgive 
his  sins  and  refuses  to  obey  the  voice  of 
God — that  is,  refuses  to  obey  the  gos- 
pel of  Christ — may  think  he  is  trusting, 
when  he  is  only  tempting  God.  Paul 
prayed  for  mercy  and  light,  but  when 
he  learned  the  way  of  salvation  he 
walked  in  that  way.  It  is  a  taw  of 
nature  and  grace  alike  that  God  does 


WHAT    PRAYER    MUST    BE         33 

for  man  what  man  can  not  do  for  him- 
self; and  what  man  can  do,  God  has 
determined  he  shall  do,  or  perish. 

5.  Prayer  must  be  offered  in  harmony 
with  God's  will.     "Thy  will  be  done  on 
earth  as  it  is  in  heaven"  is  one  petition 
of  the  Lord's  Prayer.     "Not  my  will,  O 
Lord,  but  thine,  be  done,"  was  the  Mas- 
ter's Gethsemane  prayer.    "Go  show  thy- 
self unto  Ahab,  and  I  will  send  rain  on 
the  earth,"  was  the  word  of  God  to  Eli- 
jah when  he  left  Sarepta.     He  showed 
himself  to  Ahab,  but  the  earth  was  still 
hot  and  bare,  and  so  he  prayed  to  God 
in  harmony  with  his  will  to  send  rain. 
Some  might  think,  where  the  will  of  God 
is  so  definitely  expressed,  prayer  is  not 
necessary.     But  the  knowledge  of  God's 
will  is  intended  to  incite  to  prayer,  not  to 
restrain  it.     It  is  the  mold  into  which 
we  are  to  pour  our  hearts,  showing  us 
that  for  which  to  ask. 

6.  Of  course  prayer  must  be  offered 
in  faith.     "Let  him  ask  in  faith,  nothing 
doubting."    He  must  believe  in  God,  and 
that  he  hears  and  answers  prayer. 

(4) 


34  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

"To  doubt  would  be  disloyalty, 
To  falter  would  be  sin." 

7.  A  condition  of  acceptable  prayer  is 
right  living.  David  says,  "If  I  regard 
iniquity  in  my  heart,  the  Lord  will  not 
hear."  To  cherish,  love  or  adhere  to  evil 
is  to  close  the  ears  of  God.  The  prayer 
of  the  wicked  is  an  abomination.  "The 
eyes  of  the  Lord  are  over  the  righteous, 
and  his  ears  are  open  unto  their  prayers ; 
but  the  face  of  the  Lord  is  against  them 
that  do  evil/'  Not  only  must  our  lives 
and  acts  be  all  right,  but  our  hearts  also. 
We  must  hate  and  forsake  our  sins. 
Pray: 

"Clear  thou  me  from  hidden  faults. 
Keep  back  thy   servant  also   from  pre- 
sumptuous sins; 

Let  them  not  have  dominion  over  me: 
Then  shall  I  be  upright, 
And  I  shall  be  clear  from  great  trans- 
gression. 
Let    the   words    of    my    mouth    and    the 

meditation  of  my  heart 
Be  acceptable  in  thy  sight, 
O  Jehovah,  my  rock,  and  my  redeemer." 


V. 
IMPORTUNATE  PRAYER 


V. 
IMPORTUNATE  PRAYER. 

Read  Luke  18:  1-8.  Jesus  wished  to 
comfort  and  encourage  his  disciples,  in 
view  of  the  direful  and  approaching 
events  surrounding  the  destruction  of 
Jerusalem.  "And  he  spake  a  parable 
unto  them,  to  the  end  that  they  ought 
always  to  pray,  and  not  to  faint."  In- 
stead of  yielding  to  the  fears  and  appre- 
hensions of  the  hour,  their  recourse  is 
in  prayer  to  God,  and  not  in  single  pe- 
titions, but  in  repeated  petitions,  in  im- 
portunate prayer,  that  will  not  take  "No" 
for  an  answer.  To  impress  this  point, 
Jesus  speaks  the  parable  of  the  unjust 
judge. 

"There  was  in  a  city  a  judge/'  This 
judge's  character  is  very  unpromising 
to  those  who  come  seeking  justice.  He 
"feared  not  God,  and  regarded  not  man." 
He  had  no  sense  of  responsibility,  no 
recognition  of  obligation  to  God  or  man. 

37 


38  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

Hence,  he  is  utterly  lacking  in  the  essen- 
tials of  a  just  judge.  The  protection  he 
would  give  the  innocent  would  be  the 
protection  of  wolves  to  lambs,  of  hawks 
to  chickens.  To  seek  his  court  to  ob- 
tain redress  seems  a  hopeless  case.  And 
yet  in  this  parable  this  judge  stands  for 
whom,  do  you  think?  For  God!  No 
doubt  there  were  many  just  judges  in 
the  land,  yet  Jesus  passes  them  all  by 
and  fastens  on  this  unjust  and  wicked 
judge  as  a  representative  of  God!  Why 
is  this?  He  has  a  very  good  reason. 
It  is  because  this  judge's  character  is 
the  very  opposite  of  God.  He  chooses 
him  for  purposes  of  contrast,  and  not  of 
resemblance. 

"And  there  was  a  ividow  in  that  city; 
and  she  came  oft  unto  him,  saying, 
Avenge  me  of  my  adversaries."  She 
asks  the  law's  protection.  Her  case  is 
recognized  tacitly  as  a  good  one.  The 
judge's  duty  was  plain,  but  he  refused 
to  do  it.  It  was  a  widow  who  asked  it. 
"The  very  name  stirs  the  fountain  of 
our  sympathy  by  telling  us  of  sorrow, 


IMPORTUNATE    PRAYER  39 

loneliness  and  bereavement.  Like  a  vine 
torn  by  the  scaling  lightning  from  the 
tree  around  which  it  hung,  and  left  to 
trail  in  the  dust,  yet  leaving  still  some 
tendrils  clasping  the  rifted  trunk,  so  is 
woman  when  death  writes  'widow'  on 
her  broken  heart."  Though  God's  law 
plainly  said,  "Ye  shall  not  afflict  any 
widow  or  fatherless;"  though  it  said, 
"Cursed  be  he  that  perverteth  the  judg- 
ment of  the  stranger,  the  fatherless  and 
the  widow" — yet  this  judge  cared  not  for 
any  of  these  things.  Only  two  things, 
seemingly,  could  influence  such  a  man 
— power  and  money.  This  widow  had 
neither.  She  came  to  him  in  weakness 
and  poverty.  Her  case  seems  utterly 
hopeless.  Purposely  does  Jesus  picture 
it  so.  And  as  the  judge  represents  God, 
so  the  poor  widow  represents  the  child 
of  God  praying.  And  as  the  one  repre- 
sents God  by  contrast,  so  does  the  other. 
Prayer  is  not  a  hopeless  calling  on  God, 
but  the  very  opposite. 

When   she   said,    "Avenge   me  of  my 
adversary,"  the  record  says,  "He  would 


40  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

not  for  awhile."  But  his  repeated  re- 
fusals did  not  daunt  or  divert  her.  She 
kept  on  just  the  same.  If  one  asking 
did  not  suffice,  she  asked  again  and 
again,  until  her  petitions  prevailed.  Her 
mind  was  made  up.  She  would  have  her 
rights.  "When  a  woman  will,  she  will, 
and  when  she  won't  ,she  won't."  This 
judge  found  that  he  had  come  across 
just  such  a  case.  And  he  surrendered. 
Not  to  equity,  or  justice,  or  law,  but  to 
importunity.  "Though  I  fear  not  God, 
nor  regard  man;  yet  because  this  widow 
troubleth  me,  I  will  avenge  her,  lest  she 
wear  me  out  by  her  continual  coming." 
She  had  neither  power  nor  money,  but 
persistency,  "And  the  Lord  said,  Hear 
what  the  unrighteous  judge  saith.  And 
shall  not  God  avenge  his  elect,  that  cry 
to  him  day  and  night,  and  yet  he  is  long- 
suffering  over  them?  I  say  unto  you, 
that  he  will  avenge  them  speedily.  Nev- 
ertheless, when  the  Son  of  man  cometh, 
shall  he  find  faith  on  the  earth?"  If  the 
unjust  judge  heard,  shall  not  God,  his  ex- 
act contrast,  hear?  If  the  widow's  hope- 


IMPORTUNATE    PRAYER  41 

less  petitions  prevailed,  how  much  more 
the  petitions  of  the  "elect,  that  cry  to  him 
day  and  night."  Yet  God  likes  to  see 
our  earnestness  shown  by  importunity. 
And  as  the  widow  importuned  the  unjust 
judge,  so  should  we  importune  our  heav- 
enly Father. 

"Men  ought  always  to  pray,  and  not 
to  faint."  Times  of  stress  and  trouble 
come  now  as  well  as  then.  Clouds  lower 
and  storms  rise  and  we  see  no  way 
out.  The  remedy  is  prayer — importunate 
prayer.  "Be  instant  in  prayer."  "Pray 
without  ceasing."  "Nevertheless,  when 
the  Son  of  man  cometh,  shall  he  find 
faith  on  the  earth?"  That  is,  shall  he 
find  faith  in  prayer  and  its  power — in 
importunate  prayer  and  its  power ?  God's 
word  teaches  its  importance  all  through. 
It  brought  healing  to  the  Syrophcenician 
woman's  daughter.  "And  he  said  unto 
them,  Which  of  you  shall  have  a  friend, 
and  shall  go  unto  him  at  midnight,  and 
say  to  him,  Friend,  lend  me  three  loaves ; 
for  a  friend  of  mine  is  come  to  me  from 
a  journey,  and  I  have  nothing  to  set 


42  BEFORE    THE    THRONE 

before  him;  and  he  from  within  shall 
answer  and  say,  Trouble  me  not:  the 
door  is  now  shut,  and  my  children  are 
with  me  in  bed;  I  cannot  rise  and  give 
thee?  I  say  unto  you,  though  he  will 
not  rise  and  give  him  because  he  is  his 
friend,  yet  because  of  his  importunity  he 
will  arise  and  give  him  as  much  as  he 
needeth.  And  I  say  unto  you,  Ask,  and 
it  shall  be  given  you;  seek,  and  ye  shall 
find;  knock,  and  it  shall  be  opened  unto 
you."  Jacob  wrestled  all  night  in  prayer. 
Elijah  prayed  seven  times  for  rain.  Jesus 
prayed  three  times  in  the  garden. 

Why  does  God  ask  importunity?  Is 
it  because  he  is  unwilling  to  answer? 
Does  he  have  to  be  made  willing?  Ah, 
no!  It  is  for  our  good.  It  is  to  test 
our  faith,  earnestness,  determination,  and 
so  strengthen  them.  Although  God  does 
not  seem  to  hear  prayer,  he  will  hear  and 
answer  and  bless  in  his  own  good  time, 
and  we  will  find  that  no  prayer  offered 
in  faith  is  ever  lost.  And  though  he 
sometimes  refuses  us  what  we  ask,  it  is 
always  to  give  us  something  better. 


VI. 
PRAY  ONE  FOR  ANOTHER 


VI. 

PRAY  ONE  FOR  ANOTHER. 

It  is  the  natural  impulse  of  every  re- 
ligious heart  to  pray.  The  prayerless 
Christian  is  a  contradiction  of  terms. 
But  there  is  a  higher  kind  of  prayer 
than  prayer  for  self.  Prayer  may  be- 
come, and  often  is,  very  narrow,  exclu- 
sive and  selfish.  We  may  be  so  bound 
up  in  contemplation  of  our  own  affairs 
that  our  petitions  may  not  embrace  needs 
beyond  the  limitations  of  our  home.  But 
that,  of  course,  is  a  perversion  of  this 
blessed  spiritual  exercise.  To  guard 
against  this  tendency,  God's  word  urges 
us  continually  to  "pray  one  for  another." 
No  less  does  our  consciousness  of  human 
necessities  urge  us  to  do  likewise.  Nat- 
urally, one  who  is  religious  enough  to 
pray  at  all  will  be  likely  to  let  the  range 
of  his  supplication  widen  to  other  inter- 
ests than  his  own. 

And  we  are  not  left  in  doubt  for  whom 

46 


46  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

we  should  pray.  "I  exhort,  therefore, 
first  of  all,  that  supplications,  prayers, 
intercessions,  thanksgivings,  be  made  for 
all  men;  for  kings  and  all  that  are  in 
high  place."  These  various  terms  cover 
broadly  all  phases  and  forms  of  prayer, 
and  are  a  rich  designation  of  expressions 
to  use  in  praying.  But  notice  that  the 
application  is  to  all  men.  How  broad 
the  philanthropies  of  the  gospel,  and  how 
wise  the  out-reachings  of  Christian  be- 
nevolences. 

We  are  to  pray  for  kings  and  all  who 
are  in  authority.  We  do  not  pray  enough 
for  our  rulers.  We  should  bear  them  up 
before  God.  When  Lincoln  left  Spring- 
field, 111.,  to  become  President  of  the 
United  States,  he  asked  his  lifelong  as- 
sociates to  pray  for  him.  This  is  the 
attitude  of  every  public  man  who  has 
any  realization  of  the  duties  and  re- 
sponsibilities of  his  office.  Pray  for  the 
mayor  in  his  office,  the  judge  on  the 
bench,  the  Governor  in  his  chair,  the 
President  in  the  White  House,  the  law- 
makers in  Congress,  the  policeman  on 


PRAY    ONE    FOR    ANOTHER        47 

his  round — all  who  serve  in  any  public 
capacity.  They  will  be  blessed  and  helped 
thereby. 

Pray  for  the  unfortunate  and  afflicted. 
The  world  is  full  of  people  in  distress, 
poverty,  sickness,  trouble.  How  easy  it 
is  to  forget  them  in  our  happiness  and 
prosperity.  If  we  can  not  relieve  dis- 
tress, we  can  at  least  feel  and  pray  for 
those  who  are  in  the  "deeps."  We  shall 
be  there  ourselves,  sooner  or  later.  We 
are  born  to  such  things,  as  the  sparks 
fly  upward.  They  are  certain  to  come 
some  time,  and  then  we  shall  appreciate, 
if  not  before,  the  strength  of  a  heartfelt 
prayer  to  God  for  those  who  are  in  sor- 
row. 

We  should  pray  for  our  enemies.  We 
have  the  highest  authority  for  saying, 
"Love  one  another,  and  pray  for  them 
that  persecute  you;  that  ye  may  be  sons 
of  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven:  for 
he  maketh  his  sun  to  rise  on  the  just  and 
the  unjust."  Hard?  Yes.  But  it  is 
not  impossible.  Have  any  slandered  you, 
stung  you  with  false  accusations?  Pray 


48  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

for  them,  as  Stephen  prayed  for  his  mur- 
derers, and  as  Jesus,  on  the  cross,  said, 
"Father,  forgive  them,  for  they  know 
not  what  they  do." 

Pray  for  God's  people.  We  should 
pray  for  our  own  church  that  it  may 
intensify  in  spirituality,  grow  in  mis- 
sionary zeal,  acquire  more  aggressiveness 
and  do  a  work  that  will  "tell  on  ages  and 
tell  for  God."  Pray  for  your  preacher, 
the  spiritual  leaders  of  your  congrega- 
tion, your  Bible-school  officers  and  teach- 
ers, Endeavor  workers,  and  all  who  have 
been  called  to  serve  the  congregation. 
But,  do  not  stop  there.  Paul  closes  his 
Ephesian  letter  by  saying,  "Grace  be  with 
all  them  that  love  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ 
in  uncorruptness."  God  has  a  people  in 
all  the  churches  and  religious  bodies  of 
the  world.  Pray  for  them.  Pray  for 
their  unity,  faithfulness,  loyalty,  spiritual 
uplift  and  unfolding. 

And  then  we  should  pray  for  the  un- 
saved, that  the  truth  may  reach  and  il- 
luminate their  minds,  change  their  hearts 
and  lives,  lead  them  to  live  soberly,  godly, 


PRAY   ONE   FOR   ANOTHER        49 

righteously   every   day.     God   will   hear 
and  answer  such  a  prayer. 

We  need  more  prayers  for  missions 
and  missionaries.  And  that  not  only  in 
the  pulpit  on  Sunday,  but  also  in  all  the 
services  of  the  Lord's  house,  and  at  home 
every  time  we  lift  our  hearts  to  God. 
What  we  pray  for,  we  will  work  for  and 
give  to,  and  the  more  earnestly  we  pray 
the  more  cheerfully  and  generously  will 
we  give.  Jesus  just  as  truly  taught  us 
to  pray  "Thy  kingdom  come,"  as  he 
taught  us  to  go  preach  his  gospel.  Did 
you  ever  offer  one  sincere  petition  for  the 
evangelization  of  the  world?  Did  you 
ever  a  single  time  bear  up  before  God 
the  heroic  and  devoted  men  and  women 
who  are  out  yonder  in  heathen  lands  try- 
ing to  dispel  the  gross  darkness  which 
covers  the  people? 


VII. 

THE   BENEFITS  OF  PRAYING 
FOR  OTHERS 


61 


VII. 

THE  BENEFITS  OF  PRAYING  FOR  OTHERS. 

It  broadens  our  sympathies.  It  makes 
us  think  about  and  care  for  others.  It 
breaks  up  our  littleness  and  exclusive- 
ness.  It  causes  our  affections  to  flow 
into  wider  channels  of  benevolence.  A 
man  who  does  not  pray  for  missions 
does  not  give  to  missions.  And  one  who 
does,  can  not  help  it.  Praying  for  others 
makes  us  remember  that  we  live  in,  and 
are  a  part  of,  a  great  world  of  trial,  suf- 
fering, want  and  woe,  with  which  we 
can  at  least  sympathize,  and  for  which 
we  can  pray,  if  we  can  do  nothing  else. 
We  live  too  much  to  ourselves,  too  far 
removed  from  the  lives  of  others.  We 
are  too  often  like  fellow-prisoners  shut 
up  in  cells  with  thick  walls  between  us 
and  with  all  communication  cut  off.  How 
forcibly  Jesus,  in  the  parable  of  the  good 
Samaritan,  teaches  us  that  every  man  in 
distress  is  our  neighbor.  "Look  not  every 

53 


54  BEFORE   THE  THRONE 

man  upon  his  own  things  only,  but  every 
man  also  upon  the  things  of  others." 
"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,  and  so 
fulfil  the  law  of  Christ."  If  we  would 
learn  wideness  of  sympathy,  broadness 
of  benevolence,  unselfishness  of  feeling; 
if  we  would  have  a  heart  that  beats  re- 
sponsive to  the  sighs  and  sorrows  of  suf- 
fering, sad  humanity — we  must  cultivate 
the  habit  of  praying  for  others. 

It  makes  us  love  men  to  pray  for  them. 
You  just  can  not  hate  any  one  for  whom 
you  pray.  You  can  not  cherish  ill  will 
and  malice  toward  him.  You  just  have 
to  love  him.  When  you  hold  him  up  be- 
fore God  and  ask  the  blessings  of  Heaven 
to  descend  upon  him,  it  is  simply  im- 
possible to  feel  unkindly  toward  him.  If 
there  is  any  person  you  have  found  it 
particularly  hard  to  love,  whose  name 
arouses  in  you  bitter  antagonism,  pray 
for  him,  carry  his  name  before  God,  and 
ask  God's  best  gifts  for  him,  and,  almost 
before  you  know  it,  your  repugnance  has 
vanished.  The  reason  is  that  in  prayer 
for  others  we  learn,  as  it  were,  to  look  at 


PRAYING    FOR   OTHERS  55 

them  with  God's  eyes.  We  learn,  like 
God,  to  regard  them  with  compassion  and 
forbearance.  We  learn  to  make  allow- 
ances for  their  natural  and  inborn  infirm- 
ities, for  the  unfortunate  circumstances  of 
their  lives.  We  get  a  higher  sense  of  their 
value.  We  view  them  as  heirs  of  immor- 
tality, and  think  of  what  they  shall  be 
when,  rid  of  their  imperfections,  they  are 
admitted  to  the  shining  Tranks  of  the  re- 
deemed. Seeing  them  thus  in  the  light 
of  eternity  and  in  their  relations  with 
God  and  the  endless  future,  how  our  ugly 
feelings  melt  away,  and  we  crave  for 
them  every  divine  blessing.  "What  we 
need  is  such  a  feeling  toward  men  that 
every  day  we  shall  carry  their  cases  be- 
fore God  and  look  at  their  vulgarities 
in  the  light  of  God's  pity,  and  not  in  the 
light  of  our  own  contempt  and  cynical 
criticism/'  Oh,  you  sour-hearted  Chris- 
tian, whose  feelings  toward  the  mass 
of  your  fellow-beings  is  one  perpetual 
stream  of  rancor,  bitterness  and  gall,  if 
you  would  know  the  sweetness  of  love, 
the  gladness  of  a  kindly  spirit  toward 


56  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

all,  get  down  on  your  knees  and  pray 
fervently  for  others,  breathe  their  names 
at  the  mercy-seat! 

Praying  for  others  destroys  all  dispo- 
sition to  indulge  in  harsh  and  unchari- 
table judgments  of  them.  Nothing  is 
more  common  than  malicious  judgments 
of  others.  Instead  of  trying  to  find  an 
excuse  for  them,  we  often  try  to  find  an 
offense  against  them.  Instead  of  waiting 
to  know  the  full  facts,  we  leap  to  con- 
clusions and  pronounce  hasty  condemna- 
tion. So  few  are  deliberate  and  just  in 
their  judgments.  We  try  men  in  the 
prejudiced  court  of  our  own  minds  and 
condemn  them  unheard.  We  work  up 
an  imaginary  case,  and  on  it,  as  a  basis, 
heap  maledictions  on  their  heads.  We 
introduce  our  one-sided  test,  make  our 
unopposed  argument  against  them,  bring 
down  upon  their  heads  accusation  and 
denunciation,  and  they  are  not  allowed 
to  cross-examine  one  of  our  witnesses, 
introduce  one  of  their  own,  or  speak  one 
word  in  denial,  extenuation  or  explana- 
tion. We  shall  never  be  done  with  this 


PRAYING   FOR   OTHERS  57 

miserable  business  until  we  learn  in  sin- 
cerity to  pray  for  others.  How  can  we 
be  other  than  charitable  in  our  judgments 
with  those  for  whom  we  pray?  If  God 
has  borne  long  with  you  and  me,  why 
should  we  not  bear  with  them?  Oh, 
harsh  and  cruel  tongues  and  judges,  who 
would  rather  tear  a  reputation  to  tatters 
than  mend  it,  who  would  rather  think 
evil  than  good  of  a  fellow-being,  learn 
to  be  gentle  and  kind  in  your  judgments 
of  others  by  invoking  daily  blessings  on 
their  heads! 


VIII. 
THE  PRAYING  CHRIST 


VIII. 
THE  PRAYING  CHRIST. 

One  of  the  sweetest  pictures  in  the 
life  of  Christ  is  portrayed  by  Mark: 
"And  in  the  morning,  a  great  while  be- 
fore day,  he  rose  up  and  went  out,  and 
departed  into  a  desert  place,  and  there 
prayed."  It  is  a  complete  and  perfect 
picture  in  one  brief,  graphic  sentence. 
Imagine  the  fresh  morning  air,  the  beau- 
tiful hillside  sloping  down  to  and  over- 
looking blue  Galilee,  the  absence  of  the 
crowd,  the  quietness  and  solitude  of  na- 
ture, and  the  praying  Christ,  talking  with 
his  Father  in  close,  intimate  communion! 
We  might  easily  ask,  Why  couldn't  he 
stay  in  Capernaum  and  pray?  Why 
couldn't  he  pray  in  Simon's  house  where 
he  was  stopping?  Why  couldn't  he  lift 
his  soul  in  prayer  as  he  lay  upon  his 
couch,  at  the  early  hour  when  all  about 
him  were  asleep?  He  could,  no  doubt, 

but  he  preferred  the  place  of  solitude, 
•i 


62  BEFORE    THE    THRONE 

the  silence  of  nature,  the  rugged  hillside 
where,  alone  and  unobserved,  he  could 
pour  out  his  heart  to  God.  And  we 
might  also  ask,  Why  did  Jesus  need  to 
pray  at  all?  Wasn't  he  God?  Didn't  he 
have  all  power?  Couldn't  he  command 
the  winds  and  seas  and  all  the  forces  of 
nature?  Weren't  the  resources  of  the 
universe  at  his  disposal?  Why  did  he 
need  to  ask  anybody  for  anything?  Ah! 
he  had  a  human  nature  as  well  as  a 
divine,  and  it  had  the  same  longings  and 
needs  that  our  nature  has,  and  they  could 
not  be  met  and  satisfied  without  daily 
and  constant  communion  with  the  Father. 
Especially  do  we  find  Jesus  praying 
at  every  crisis  of  his  life.  He  had  re- 
course to  prayer  at  his  baptism,  when 
making  the  selection  of  his  apostles,  just 
before  feeding  the  five  thousand,  on  the 
mount  of  transfiguration,  in  his  last  in- 
timate farewell  meeting  with  his  apostles, 
at  his  betrayal  in  the  Garden  of  Geth- 
semane,  and  when  hanging  by  his  pierced 
hands  and  feet  between  heaven  and  earth 
on  the  cruel  cross  of  Calvary.  If  there 


THE    PRAYING    CHRIST  63 

is  a  time  above  all  others  when  we  need 
the  help  of  prayer,  it  is  when  facing  a 
crisis. 

But,  aside  from  the  times  of  crisis  and 
special  stress,  Jesus  was  accustomed  to 
pray.  The  instance  recited  by  Mark  is 
an  illustration.  So  far  as  we  know,  noth- 
ing out  of  the  ordinary  was  transpiring. 
Jesus  was  engaged  in  his  regular  work. 
Things  were  moving  smoothly  onward. 
And  yet  he  felt  the  need  and  sought  the 
privilege  of  communion  with  his  Father, 
even  at  such  a  time.  It  was  his  daily 
custom,  it  was  his  constant  habit.  "And 
it  came  to  pass,  as  he  was  praying  in  a 
certain  place,  that  when  he  ceased,  one 
of  his  disciples  said  unto  him,  Lord, 
teach  us  to  pray,  even  as  John  also 
taught  his  disciples."  What  could  be 
more  suggestive  of  a  habit  of  prayer 
than  these  words?  And  isn't  it  remark- 
able that  the  request  to  be  taught  to 
pray  came  from  Christ's  disciples?  They 
mentioned  it  first.  Ah !  there  was  wisdom 
in  that.  Prayer  is  a  thing  of  natural  in- 
clination to  pious  hearts.  Force  it  on 


64  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

God's  children  and  you  may  destroy  the 
natural  inclination.  Jesus  waited,  there- 
fore, till  the  natural  inclination  asserted 
itself  in  the  request,  and  then  acceded 
to  it. 

But  do  you  notice  that  it  was  his  ex- 
ample that  excited  the  desire  to  pray? 
"As  he  was  praying  in  a  certain  place" 
the  request  was  made  of  him  to  teach  his 
disciples  to  pray.  And  why  should  not 
his  example  excite  the  same  desire  in 
us?  We,  too,  are  his  disciples.  If  Jesus 
needed  to  pray,  why  do  not  we  need 
also  to  pray?  If  prayer  was  his  daily 
custom,  why  not  ours?  If  prayer  helped 
him,  why  not  us?  If  he  loved  this  soli- 
tary place  and  the  quiet  hour  alone  with 
God,  should  not  we  esteem  it  an  equal 
privilege  and  great  joy  to  be  often  on 
the  hillside  with  none  but  God  near? 
If  at  times  of  crisis  he  prayed  with 
special  intensity,  why  should  not  we?  If 
he  couldn't  get  along  without  ceaselessly 
calling  on  God,  how  can  we  ?  Yea,  more, 
every  reason  that  can  be  given  why 
Christ  should  pray,  becomes  a  reason 


THE    PRAYING   CHRIST  65 

a  thousand- fold  greater  why  we  should. 
If  he  was  always  and  everywhere  "the 
praying  Christ,"  O  Christian  man  or 
woman,  how  much  more  should  we  be 
praying  Christians! 

Prayer  gave  Christ  power,  and  so  does 
it  all  Christians.  Luther  was  a  man  of 
power,  because  he  could  not  get  through 
any  day  without  going  to  God  at  least 
three  times  in  earnest,  agonizing  prayer. 
Mary  Queen  of  Scots  feared  one  of  the 
prayers  of  John  Knox  more  than  an 
army  of  ten  thousand  men.  The  prayers 
of  Henry  Ward  Beecher  enriched  the 
lives  of  thousands  of  Christians  because 
his  own  life  had  been  transformed,  beau- 
tified, hallowed,  glorified  thereby.  And 
prayer  will  thus  bless  our  hearts  and 
lives,  increase  our  zeal  and  earnestness, 
and  give  us  power  to  work  for  God. 


(6) 


IX. 
A  PRAYING  CHURCH 


67 


IX. 

A  PRAYING  CHURCH. 

The  apostolic  church  has  always,  and 
rightly,  been  considered  a  model  for  all 
succeeding  times  to  pattern  after,  and 
therefore  a  model  for  us  to-day.  But 
as  such  it  emphasizes  some  things  which 
we  have  not  always,  I  fear,  sufficiently 
appreciated.  We  have  been  accustomed 
to  look  to  it  for  doctrinal  rather  than 
practical  purposes;  that  is  to  say,  we 
have  used  it  as  a  model  for  settling  the 
true  name  by  which  the  church  should 
be  called,  the  organization  of  the  church, 
its  rule  of  faith  and  practice,  its  creed, 
its  foundation,  and  so  on  (which  is  all 
right  and  proper).  But  the  apostolic 
church  is  a  model  in  some  other  respects, 
which  more  closely  touch  the  springs  of 
practical  living  and  influence  us  more 
strongly  in  our  daily  lives.  Particularly 
is  it  a  model  of  a  praying  church. 

It  was  born  in  prayer.     Returning  to 

69 


70  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

Jerusalem,  after  the  ascension  of  Christ, 
the  apostles  entered  an  upper  room  and 
"continued  stedfastly  in  prayer''  until  the 
day  of  Pentecost  was  come.  It  was  a 
protracted  prayer-meeting,  and  out  of  it 
came  the  church  of  Christ.  It  is  char- 
acterized by  steadfastness  in  prayer.  Of 
the  three  thousand  who  became  obedient 
to  the  faith  after  Peter's  first  gospel 
sermon,  it  is  said,  "They  continued  sted- 
fastly in  the  apostles'  teaching  and  fel- 
lowship, in  the  breaking  of  bread,  and 
the  prayers/'  It  gained  strength  in  per- 
secution by  prayer.  When  Peter  and 
John  in  Jerusalem  had  been  commanded, 
with  threatenings,  to  "preach  no  more  in 
the  name  of  Jesus,"  they  went  to  their 
own  company  and  reported  all  the  chief 
priests  and  elders  had  said  to  them. 
"And  when  they  heard  that,  they  lifted 
up  their  voices  to  God  with  one  accord 
and  said,  And  now,  Lord,  look  upon 
their  threatenings:  and  grant  unto  thy 
servants  to  speak  thy  word  with  all 
boldness,  while  thou  stretchest  forth  thy 
hand  to  heal;  and  that  signs  and  won- 


A    PRAYING   CHURCH  71 

ders  may  be  done  through  the  name  of 
thy  holy  servant  Jesus.  And  when  they 
had  prayed,  the  place  was  shaken  where- 
in they  were  gathered  together;  and  they 
were  all  filled  with  the  Holy  Ghost,  and 
they  spake  the  word  of  God  with  bold- 
ness/' No  less  remarkable  was  Peter's 
deliverance  from  the  murderous  intent 
of  Herod,  that  night  in  which  he  slept 
between  two  soldiers  to  whom  he  was 
bound  by  chains,  and  "the  keepers  before 
the  door  kept  the  prison."  He  could  look 
forward  to  nothing  but  certain  martyr- 
dom the  next  day,  "but  prayer  was  made 
without  ceasing  by  the  church  unto  God 
for  him."  Suddenly  "the  angel  of  the 
Lord  came  upon  him."  A  light  shone  in 
the  prison.  He  was  aroused  and  bidden 
"to  rise  up  quickly."  And  the  chains 
fell  from  his  hands.  Hastily  making 
ready,  he  followed  the  angel,  at  his  word, 
so  astounded  all  the  while  that  he  "wist 
not  that  it  was  true  which  was  done  by 
the  angel,  but  thought  he  saw  a  vision." 
The  great  prison  gates  swung  wide  at 
their  approach.  Passing  through,  they 


72  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

went  the  length  of  the  street,  "and  the 
angel  departed."  "And  when  Peter  was 
come  to  himself,  he  said,  Now  I  know 
of  a  truth  that  the  Lord  hath  sent  forth 
his  angel,  and  delivered  me  out  of  the 
hand  of  Herod,  and  from  all  the  expec- 
tation of  the  people  of  the  Jews.  And 
when  he  had  considered  the  thing,  he 
came  to  the  house  of  Mary,  the  mother 
of  John,  whose  surname  was  Mark; 
where  many  were  gathered  together  and 
were  praying/'  His  deliverance  was  a 
remarkable  and  almost  unbelievable  an- 
swer to  the  prayers  of  the  church.  Paul 
never  wrote  a  letter  without  asking  the 
prayers  of  the  people,  "that  utterance 
may  be  given  unto  me  that  I  may  open 
my  mouth  boldly,  to  make  known  the 
mystery  of  the  gospel  for  which  I  am  an 
ambassador  in  bonds."  He  urged  upon 
them  "with  all  prayer  and  supplication, 
praying  at  all  seasons  in  the  Spirit."  He 
is  the  author  of  the  fine  expression, 
"Pray  without  ceasing."  Peter  insists, 
"The  eyes  of  the  Lord  are  upon  the 
righteous,  and  his  ears  are  open  unto 


A    PRAYING    CHURCH  73 

their  prayers;  but  the  face  of  the  Lord 
is  against  them  that  do  evil."  The  apos- 
tle James  asks:  "Is  any  among  you  suf- 
fering? let  him  pray.  Is  any  cheerful? 
let  him  sing  praise.  Is  any  among  you 
sick?  let  him  call  for  the  elders  of  the 
church;  and  let  them  pray  over  him, 
anointing  him  with  oil  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord:  and  the  prayer  of  faith  shall  save 
him  that  is  sick,  and  the  Lord  shall 
raise  him  up;  and  if  he  have  committed 
sins,  it  shall  be  forgiven  him.  Confess 
therefore  your  sins  one  to  another,  and 
pray  one  for  another,  that  ye  may  be 
healed.  The  supplication  of  a  righteous 
man  availeth  much  in  its  working.  Eli- 
jah was  a  man  of  like  passions  with  us, 
and  he  prayed  fervently  that  it  might 
not  rain;  and  it  rained  not  on  the  earth 
for  three  years  and  six  months.  And 
he  prayed  again;  and  the  heaven  gave 
rain,  and  the  earth  brought  forth  her 
fruit."  A  part  of  the  entrancing  vision 
of  John  on  the  lonely  island  of  Patmos 
relates  to  prayer:  "And  when  he  had 
taken  the  book,  the  four  living  creatures 


74  BEFORE    THE   THRONE 

and  the  four  and  twenty  elders  fell  down 
before  the  Lamb,  having  each  one  a  harp, 
and  golden  bowls  full  of  incense,  which 
are  the  prayers  of  the  saints."  What  a 
beautiful  figure  of  speech:  "Having  each 
one  a  harp,  and  golden  bowls  full  of 
incense,  which  are  the  prayers  of  the 
saints."  These  are  all  wonderful  in- 
stances that  God  hears  and  answers 
prayer  and  urges  the  importance  of  it 
everywhere  and  always.  The  apostles 
continually  drew  near  to  God  in  prayer. 
The  early  church  was  a  praying  church. 
And  to-day  the  praying  church  is  the 
living  church,  the  spiritual  church,  the 
working  church.  C.  H.  Spurgeon  and 
F.  B.  Meyer,  in  London,  and  A.  J.  Gor- 
don, in  Boston,  built  up  and  sustained 
churches  of  power  because  they  made 
them  churches  of  prayer.  In  vain  does 
any  church  attempt  anything  for  the  God 
of  glory  unless  it  is  begun,  carried  on 
and  completed  in  prayer.  It  should  take 
God  into  all  its  plans  and  purposes.  It 
should  carry  everything  to  him  in  prayer. 
It  should  feel  its  dependence  on  him,  seek 


A    PRAYING    CHURCH  75 

his  counsel  and  aid,  submit  all  things  to 
his  guidance.  Its  members  should  pray 
for  it  in  their  closets,  in  their  homes,  at 
their  places  of  business,  in  all  the  under- 
takings of  human  life.  The  value  of 
such  prayer  to  a  church  is  that  it  blesses 
the  hearts  and  lives  of  the  members,  in- 
creases their  zeal  and  earnestness,  gives 
them  power  to  work  for  God,  promotes 
fellowship,  discourages  censorious  judg- 
ment, cherishes  mutual  helpfulness,  dis- 
covers mutual  needs,  develops  power  in 
the  congregation,  discloses  gifts  and 
graces,  makes  truth  personal. 


X 

A  FITTING  PRAYER 


77 


X. 

A  FITTING  PRAYER. 

Read  1  Chron.  4:9,  10.  These  two 
verses  occur  in  a  long  and  tedious  list 
of  genealogies  which  consumes  the  first 
eight  chapters  of  the  Books  of  Chron- 
icles. You  read  along,  pronouncing  name 
after  name  and  family  after  family,  and 
never  dream  that  there  is  anything  else, 
when  you  come  upon  this  passage  like 
a  flower  blooming  in  the  desert,  or  a 
treasure  hidden  in  the  sand,  or  a  star 
peeping  through  dark  clouds.  You  can 
never  tell,  when  reading  the  sacred  Scrip- 
tures, where  you  will  strike  a  gold  mine 
of  precious  lessons;  and  certainly  we 
strike  one  right  here. 

The  mother  of  Jabez  gave  him  a  very 
sinister  name  with  which  to  go  through 
the  world.  Jabez  means  "sorrow."  The 
reason  given  for  calling  him  Jabez  was 
that  he  came  into  the  world  under  sor- 
rowful circumstances.  His  parents  evi- 

79 


80  BEFORE   THE    THRONE 

clently  were  very  poor.  They  had  a  large 
family.  They  could  with  difficulty  sup- 
port and  feed  the  children  they  already 
had,  and  another  mouth  to  feed,  in  the 
person  of  little  Jabez,  seemed  almost  a 
calamity.  The  untoward  little  stranger, 
therefore,  was  quite  unwelcome  when  he 
came.  And  yet  he  speedily  proved  him- 
self the  best  of  the  lot,  showing  how  un- 
justly he  had  been  named  and  making  for 
himself  a  welcome  in  which  no  warmth 
or  heartiness  was  lacking.  "And  Jabez 
was  more  honorable  than  his  brethren." 
He  was  a  higher  and  grander  type  of 
man  than  they.  They  had  been  wel- 
comed and  rejoiced  over,  and  parental 
hopes  beat  high  as  their  future  careers 
were  contemplated,  yet  they  were  a  grief 
and  disappointment.  He  had  been  un- 
welcome and  sorrowed  over  and  his 
future  contemplated  with  misgivings,  and 
yet  he  was  a  joy  and  a  blessing. 

No  doubt  Jabez'  hard  lot  had  much  to 
do  in  making  a  man  of  him  and  in  bring- 
ing out  those  sterling  qualities  in  his 
character  which  are  so  becoming.  Idle- 


A   FITTING    PRAYER  81 

ness,  luxury  and  indulgence  have  ruined 
millions.  Hardihood  and  struggle  and 
toil  have  been  the  making  of  millions. 
There  is  some  hope  for  a  boy  who  has 
to  battle  his  way  and  make  himself.  But 
for  the  boy  for  whom  everything  is  paved 
and  smooth,  there  is  little  in  store. 

Jabez'  true  nobleness  comes  out  in  his 
prayer.  He  was  a  religious  man,  who 
took  God  into  his  plans.  He  was  a  pray- 
ing man,  for  sorrow  draws  men  to  God. 
And  the  prayer  he  offers  is  a  most  fitting 
one.  It  touches  the  exact  needs  of  every 
soul.  It  is  worthy  of  perpetual  use. 

"Oh  that  thou  wouldest  bless  me  in- 
deed." There  are  some  things  which 
seem  to  be  blessings,  but  are  not.  There 
are  some  things  for  which  we  pray  that 
God  shows  his  mercy  in  withholding 
from  us.  How  often  we  ask  for  what 
would  be  only  a  curse  to  us.  We  pray 
for  wealth,  honor,  power,  worldly  suc- 
cess, and  things  of  that  kind  that  might 
be  our  moral  ruin.  It  is  a  great  test  of 
what  a  man  is,  to  know  that  for  which 
he  most  ardently  prays.  A  man's  prayer 

(7) 


82  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

may  be  very  selfish  and  ignoble,  and 
show  him  to  be  far  from  what  he  ought 
to  be,  but  Jabez  wanted  nothing  that 
was  not  a  real  blessing.  "Oh  that  thou 
wouldest  bless  me  indeed."  And  our 
prayer  should  ever  be  the  same.  O 
Lord,  give  me  not  what  I  most  want, 
but  what  I  most  need,  that  thy  blessing 
may  rest  upon  me.  Oh,  I  trust  that  that 
will  be  our  constant  petition. 

"And  enlarge  my  border''  That  is  the 
particular  blessing  he  asks.  The  refer- 
ence is  to  his  family's  ancestral  estates. 
It  had  formerly  possessed  a  certain  terri- 
tory that  was  now  very  much  reduced, 
whether  through  misfortune  or  improvi- 
dence we  know  not.  But  Jabez  is  am- 
bitious to  get  all  the  ancestral  acres  back 
again.  That  is  his  prayer,  "Enlarge  my 
border."  A  family  always  had  the  right 
to  redeem  its  own  land.  When  a  family 
has  for  many  generations  possessed  a 
homestead,  it  becomes  very  dear.  This 
homestead  was  precious  to  Jabez.  And 
he  wanted  it  back.  He  labors  and  prays 
to  that  end. 


A   FITTING    PRAYER  83 

But  it  is  spiritual  enlargement  we  most 
need  and  for  which  we  should  pray. 
How  few  of  us  have  our  own  spiritual 
dominion  under  cultivation.  We  have  one 
thousand  acres  and  about  one-tenth  im- 
proved! We  need  the  growth  of  knowl- 
edge and  virtue  and  righteousness,  the 
increase  of  faith  and  hope  and  love — 
until  we  attain  to  the  measure  of  the 
stature  of  the  fullness  of  Christ.  We 
need  the  enlargement  of  the  border  of 
character  and  manhood.  We  need  to 
heed  the  apostolic  admonition,  "Be  ye 
also  enlarged." 

"And  that  thine  hand  might  be  with 
me."  To  win  back  his  ancestral  inherit- 
ance, he  proposed  to  make  the  fight 
himself.  He  is  willing  to  do  the  strug- 
gling himself.  But  he  does  want  God's 
presence  and  aid.  That  is  the  right 
conception.  So,  in  struggling  for  the 
overthrow  of  our  sins  and  vices  and  evil 
habits  and  seeking  the  enlargement  of 
character,  we  are  to  work  as  if  all  de- 
pended upon  ourselves  and  pray  as  if 
all  depended  on  God.  We  especially  need 


84 


the  aid  of  our  heavenly  Father.  We  are. 
doomed  to  perpetual  failure  without  him. 
We  must  become  strong  in  the  Lord  and 
in  the  power  of  his  might.  We  must 
put  on  the  whole  armor  of  God.  We 
must  use  the  invincible  weapons  which 
he  has  provided,  and  the  victory  will  be 
sure  to  come.  Oh  "that  thine  hand  might 
be  with  us." 

"Keep  me  from  evil,  that  it  may  not 
grieve  or  dishearten  me  or  be  to  my  sor- 
row." He  would  not  ask  to  be  absolutely 
kept  from  evil,  but  only  that  which  might 
"grieve  or  dishearten"  him,  or  be  to  his 
sorrow.  Sickness,  disease,  suffering,  dis- 
appointment, trial,  trouble,  come  to  all. 
No  one  can  escape  evil  of  this  kind.  It 
is  a  part  of  the  necessary  discipline  of 
life.  It  is  calculated  to  do  us  good.  It 
chastens,  purifies,  elevates  us.  It  teaches 
us  patience,  resignation,  fortitude,  cour- 
age, strength.  And  our  prayers  should 
not  be  for  them  not  to  come  upon  us,  but 
when  they  do  come  that  they  may  not 
dishonor  or  overwhelm  us;  that,  on  the 
contrary,  they  may  drive  us  closer  to 


A   FITTING   PRAYER  85 

God,  that  we  may  learn  to  lean  on  him, 
that  they  may  be  of  him  sanctified  to  our 
good — to  our  spiritual  enlargement;  that 
we  may  be  made  grander  and  purer  and 
stronger  men  and  women  by  them. 

That  was  Jabez'  prayer,  and  it  should 
be  ours.  It  is  a  noble  prayer.  No  won- 
der it  is  written,  "And  God  granted  him 
that  which  he  requested."  And  so  will 
God  grant  our  prayer. 


XI. 

"NOT   KNOWING  WHAT   HE 
SAID" 


XL 

'"NOT  KNOWING  WHAT  HE  SAID." 

Peter,  upon  the  mount  of  transfigura- 
tion, asked  to  build  three  tabernacles, 
"not  knowing  what  he  said"  James  and 
John  once  went  to  Jesus  and  asked  the 
privilege  of  sitting,  one  on  the  right  hand 
and  the  other  on  the  left,  in  his  kingdom. 
Jesus  could  grant  no  such  request,  and 
so  said,  "Ye  know  not  what  ye  ask." 
Ambition,  not  need,  dictated  the  petition. 
It  was  out  of  harmony  with  Christ's 
mission  and  purpose.  King  Midas  of 
old  requested  that  everything  he  touched 
might  turn  to  gold,  and  was  horrified  to 
find  that  the  unreckoned  results  of  his 
foolish  prayer  doomed  him  to  starvation 
and  death. 

Many  are  the  prayers  made  at  random. 
They  are  prompted  by  fancy  or  impulse, 
instead  of  a  deep  and  well-considered 
want.  They  are  little  more  than  the 
mouthings  of  blindness  and  ignorance. 

89 


90  BEFORE   THE    THRONE 

They  may  be  prayers  of  faith  and  trust, 
of  fervor  and  earnestness,  of  eloquence 
and  elegance,  but  they  are  not  according 
to  God's  will,  and  in  mercy  he  passes 
them  by.  It  may  be  said  of  them  as  of 
Peter's  prayer,  "not  knowing  what  he 
said." 

We  pray  ignorantly  and  in  unbelief 
when  we  ask  for  "a  baptism  of  fire." 
The  Bible  does  not  teach  that  as  a  de- 
sirable thing.  The  baptism  of  fire,  as 
I  read  the  Bible,  means  hell  fire.  Fire 
is  the  symbol  of  divine  punishment.  It 
is  spoken  of  as  the  doom  of  the  lost.  Iti 
this  connection,  "the  lake  which  burneth 
with  fire,"  "everlasting  fire,"  "where  the 
fire  is  not  quenched,"  are  familiar  ex- 
pressions that  will  occur  to  all.  And  in 
the  very  place  where  the  "baptism  of 
fire"  is  spoken  of,  the  explanation  of  its 
meaning  follows  in  language  that  clearly 
confirms  this  conclusion.  One,  therefore, 
could  not  well  ask  for  such  a  visitation 
from  God  and  be  very  much  blessed  if 
his  prayer  were  answered! 

We  offer  a  prayer  impossible  of  an 


NOT  KNOWING  WHAT  HE  SAID     91 

swering  when  we  ask  God  to  baptize 
sinners  with  the  Holy  Spirit.  The  Chris- 
tian, of  course,  enjoys  the  permanent 
blessing  of  the  indwelling  Spirit.  He 
is  a  sanctifying,  strengthening,  comfort- 
ing influence  in  his  life.  The  Christian 
has  a  right  to  pray  for  his  abiding  pres- 
ence. But  the  sinner,  unconverted  and 
unregenerated,  does  not.  Of  him  it  is 
written,  "Whom  the  world  cannot  re- 
ceive." The  Holy  Spirit  operates  on 
sinners  through  the  Word  of  truth.  Not 
until  the  sinner  has  believed  and  re- 
pented and  obeyed  God  in  holy  baptism 
is  the  promise  of  the  Holy  Spirit  as  a 
guest  enjoyed.  To  pray  God  to  baptize 
sinners  with  the  Holy  Spirit,  therefore, 
is  to  blunder  like  Peter,  "not  knowing 
what  he  said." 

And  we  do  not  know  what  we  say 
when  we  pray  God  to  be  reconciled  to 
sinners.  God  is  not  man's  enemy,  but 
man  is  God's  enemy.  God  does  not  hate 
man,  but  man  hates  God.  Wherever. the 
Bible  speaks  of  reconciliation,  it  is  man 
to  God  and  not  God  to  man.  God  is 


92  BEFORE    THE    THRONE 

willing  and  anxious  to  save.  Speaking 
of  Christ,  the  apostle  says:  "And  you, 
being  in  time  past  alienated  and  enemies 
in  your  mind  in  your  evil  works,  yet  now 
hath  he  reconciled  in  the  body  of  his 
flesh  through  death,  to  present  you  holy 
and  without  blemish  and  unreprovable 
before  him."  So,  to  pray  for  God  to 
be  reconciled  to  sinners  is  to  pray  ab- 
surdly. 

Equally,  men  know  not  what  they  say 
when  they  pray  God  to  forgive  the  dis- 
obedient. It  is  right  and  proper  for 
them  to  pray  and  for  others  to  pray  for 
them,  provided  they  want  to  obey  God. 
It  is  right  for  them  to  pray  if,  like  Saul 
of  Tarsus,  they  pray  for  light,  and,  when 
it  is  granted,  walk  in  it;  or,  like  CorneT 
lius,  pray  for  guidance,  and,  when  it  is 
given,  follow  it.  But  God  does  not  for- 
give man  in  disobedience.  Prayer  must 
never  be  made  a  substitute  for  obdience. 
Of  what  avail  are  divine  commands  if 
the  blessing^  associated  with  them  can 
be  enjoyed  without  submission  thereto? 
God  never  has  and  never  will  say  in  an- 


NOT  KNOWING  WHAT  HE  SAID     93 

swer  to  any  prayer,  "Well,  never  mind 
about  doing  what  I  command."  To  pre- 
sume that  he  will  say  such  a  thing  is 
an  ignorant  presumption.  It  is  to  re- 
peat over  after  him  Peter's  inconsidered 
prayer  on  the  mount  of  transfiguration. 
Obey  the  Lord,  yield  to  his  holy  com- 
mands, consecrate  yourself  to  him,  and 
then  pardon  comes.  Let  us  pray  for  our 
unconverted  friends,  but  let  that  prayer 
be  for  them  to  believe  on  Christ  and 
obey  him.  Let  all  our  petitions  rest  on 
the  assurance  "that,  if  we  ask  anything 
according  to  his  will,  he  heareth  us." 


XII. 
THE  KNOCKING  PETER 


XII. 
THE  KNOCKING  PETER. 

Read  Acts  12:  14,  15.  The  very  thing 
they  were  praying  for,  Peter's  deliver- 
ance from  prison,  had  come  to  pass,  and 
yet  when  the  maid  announced  that  Peter 
stood  at  the  door,  they  would  not  believe 
it.  It  is  hard  to  say  which  is  the  greater 
marvel,  the  way  their  prayer  was  an- 
swered, or  the  way  they  treated  the  an- 
swer when  it  came  to  pass. 

Peter  knocks  at  the  door  at  the  very 
moment  the  company  were  engaged  in 
praying  for  his  deliverance.  Rhoda  an- 
nounces his  arrival.  They  refuse  to  be- 
lieve the  announcement.  "And  they  said 
unto  her,  Thou  art  mad.  But  she  con- 
fidently affirmed  that  it  was  so.  And 
they  said,  It  is  his  angel."  And  yet  they 
found  that  the  announcement  was  true. 
They  would  not  believe  the  answer  to 
their  own  prayer.  God  hears  our  prayer 
now,  as  well  as  then.  His  word  assures 

(8)  97 


98  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

us  that  he  does.  Scores  of  instances 
establish  the  fact.  And  yet  if  some  Rho- 
da  should  announce  the  answer,  we  would 
say,  "Thou  art  mad."  One  reason  so 
many  Christians  doubt  the  efficacy  of 
prayer  is  that  they  do  not  believe  God's 
answers  when  they  come. 

We  pray  to  be  useful;  for  God  to  show 
us  how  we  can  serve  him;  to  open  before 
us  opportunities  of  work  for  his  cause. 
He  does  so,  and  yet  we  spurn  it  when  it 
comes,  like  Peter  knocking  at  our  gate. 
There  is  no  one  who  wants  to  work  for 
God  but  can  easily  obtain  the  chance. 
There  is  no  one  who  prays  to  be  made 
useful  but  his  prayer  is  answered.  The 
trouble  is  we  don't  want  to  do  the  kind 
of  work  God  sends  us.  We  don't  want 
to  be  useful  in  the  way  and  place  God 
appoints.  Like  Naaman,  we  would  be 
willing  to  do  "some  great  thing"  for  the 
Lord,  but  the  little,  common,  every-day 
things,  that  bring  neither  eclat  nor  prom- 
inence, we  despise.  To  teach  a  Sunday- 
school  class,  to  gather  up  neighbors  and 
take  them  to  prayer-meeting,  to  warn  one 


THE    KNOCKING    PETER  99 

in  peril  from  fierce  temptation,  to  speak 
a  word  in  season  to  him  who  is  weary, 
to  be  more  gentle  and  kind  and  patient 
in  the  midst  of  our  family,  to  visit  the 
sick,  encourage  the  disheartened,  comfort 
the  sorrowing,  watch  for  souls,  to  be 
everywhere  helpful  to  and  considerate  of 
others — these  are  the  opportunities  sent 
of  God  to  knock  at  our  gate,  and  yet 
how  often  we  shut  them  out.  Because 
the  command  he  gives  takes  a  little  effort 
and  requires  some  pains  and  involves  a 
few  things  not  entirely  agreeable,  we  re- 
fuse to  accept  the  answer  to  our  prayer. 
We  pray  to  be  made  better  in  life  and 
character.  Realizing  our  shortcomings 
and  imperfections  and  sorrowing  over 
them,  we  say :  "O  Lord,  make  me  a  purer 
man,  stronger  to  do  the  right,  braver  to 
resist  the  wrong,  more  kind  and  gentle 
and  patient,  more  like  Jesus  my  Saviour, 
more  like  the  high  standard  of  character 
given  in  thy  holy  word."  God  proceeds 
to  answer  our  praver.  He  always  works 
through  means.  There  is  no  means  he 
more  frequently  employs  in  the  per  fee- 


100  BEFORE    THE    THRONE 

tion  of  character,  there  is  no  means  more 
necessary  to  this  end,  than  sorrows  and 
afflictions.  Jesus  himself  was  made  per- 
fect through  suffering.  God  often  has 
to  whip  the  faults  out  of  us  as  he  did 
out  of  Jacob.  And  yet,  like  Jacob,  we 
cry  out  and  say,  "All  these  things  are 
against  me."  O  friend,  when  you  pray 
to  be  made  a  better  man,  and  in  answer 
thereto  God  sends  the  knocking  Peter  of 
affliction  to  your  gate,  accept  the  answer 
when  it  comes. 

So  also  we  pray  for  comfort.  Sorrow 
comes  upon  us.  Trial  and  bereavement 
enshroud  us  with  darkness.  We  cry  unto 
the  Lord  for  comfort.  He  is  ready  to 
comfort.  He  hears  and  answers.  A  kind 
and  sympathizing  heart  comes  to  bring 
us  solace  and  cheer.  But  we  lock  our- 
selves up  in  a  dark  room  and  refuse  to 
see  any  one.  He  gives  us  work  to  do 
to  drive  away  the  clouds  and  happify  the 
heart,  but  we  refuse  to  do  it.  He  sends 
us  a  thousand  messages  of  comfort  in 
his  word,  but  there  it  lies  on  the  stand 
unopened  and  unused.  The  services  of 


THE   KNOCKING    PETER          101 

the  Lord's  house  are  at  hand,  designed 
for  all  the  afflicted  and  grief -stricken, 
and  full  of  strong  consolation,  but  they, 
too,  are  refused  and  neglected.  The  first 
place  David  went  when  his  child  died 
was  unto  the  house  of  the  Lord  to  wor- 
ship. But  that  is  now  the  last  place  we 
think  of  going  when  sorrow  lays  a  heavy 
hand  upon  us.  And  so  it  is  that  when 
the  knocking  Peter  of  comfort  comes  to 
our  gate,  though  we  have  prayed  and 
longed  for  his  coming,  we  won't  let  him 
in!  We  make  the  prayer  and  then  re- 
fuse the  answer! 

We  pray  for  forgiveness.  He  says, 
"If  we  confess  our  sins,  he  is  faithful 
and  righteous  to  forgive  us  our  sins,  and 
to  cleanse  us  from  all  unrighteousness." 
Yet  when  we  have  confessed,  we  re- 
fuse to  accept  the  assurance.  For  fifty 
years  people  have  carried  their  sins  on 
their  consciences,  when  it  was  their  most 
gracious  privilege  to  have  known  they 
were  forgiven  had  they  only  believed. 
They  need  to  learn  to  take  God  at  his 
word.  They  should  be  careful  not  to 


102  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

slam  the  door  in  the  face  of  the  knock- 
ing Peter. 

We  pray  for  God's  kingdom  to  come, 
and  his  will  to  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is 
in  heaven;  for  the  hastening  of  the  day 
when  the  kingdoms  of  this  world  shall 
become  the  kingdoms  of  our  Lord  and 
his  Christ;  for  the  speedy  arrival  of  the 
time  when  the  earth  shall  be  full  of  the 
knowledge  of  the  glory  of  the  Lord  as 
the  waters  cover  the  sea;  that  the  nations 
of  the  world  may  be  discipled  and  won  to 
Christ;  that  the  dark  and  destitute  re- 
gions of  the  earth  may  be  reached  and 
illumined  by  the  blessed  gospel.  Grand 
men  and  women  volunteer  to  leave  home 
and  friends  and  kindred  and  country  to 
bury  themselves  for  life  in  heathen  dark- 
ness for  Jesus'  sake.  Work  is  begun, 
schools  started,  religious  services  estab- 
lished, a  center  of  light  inaugurated  that 
sends  its  rays  out  into  the  blackness  on 
every  side.  And  yet,  although  it  comes 
as  the  direct  answer  to  our  prayer,  how 
many  of  us,  when  the  basket  is  passed 
to  receive  the  offering  for  world  educa- 


THE   KNOCKING   PETER          103 

tion  and  evangelization,  either  never  see 
it,  or  else  dole  out  our  pittance  for  mere 
appearance'  sake.  A  prayer  for  world 
conquest,  or  for  a  larger  and  grander 
spread  of  the  gospel  in  our  own  land,  is 
a  mockery  and  a  crime  from  those  who 
will  not  back  it  up  with  liberal  and  self- 
sacrificing  contributions.  God's  answer 
comes  to  us  in  the  form  of  demands  and 
opportunities  for  enlarged  giving  to  the 
support  of  missions.  And  our  every  re- 
fusal is  a  clear  repetition  of  the  comedy 
of  the  knocking  Peter  and  that  little  band 
of  praying  friends  and  followers! 

We  pray  for  the  conversion  of  souls; 
for  the  conversion  of  our  children,  our 
neighbors  and  their  children,  our  friends 
and  loved  ones.  Yet  we  fail  to  speak  an 
earnest  word  in  season.  We  would  let 
a  protracted  meeting  pass  unused  for 
their  conversion.  We  would  see  them 
on  the  point  of  coming  out  for  Christ 
and  say  not  one  word  of  encourage- 
ment. We  won't  let  the  knocking  Peter 
in.  We  remain  securely  inside  with  the 
door  bolted  and  the  windows  all  barred! 


104  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

How  can  we  expect  to  maintain  a 
living  faith  in  the  efficacy  of  prayer  if 
we  persistently  refuse  to  recognize  the 
answer  when  it  comes  like  Peter,  knock- 
ing at  our  door? 


XIH. 
A  THRILLING  PRAYER 


105 


XIII. 
A  THRILLING  PRAYER. 

"Love  your  enemies,  and  pray  for  them 
that  persecute  you,"  is  the  hard  require- 
ment of  Jesus  in  his  Sermon  on  the 
Mount.  He  adds  experience  to  precept 
when  on  the  cross  he  prays,  "Father,  for- 
give them;  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do."  How  he  must  have  loved  his  ene- 
mies to  have  prayed  for  them  under  such 
circumstances!  What  self-command  over 
every  feeling  and  impulse  and  passion  of 
his  heart  he  exhibited!  Where  can  the 
world  look  to  see  such  sublime  suppres- 
sion of  every  spirit  of  hatred  and  re- 
venge, such  unequaled  forbearance  in  the 
presence  of  such  unparalleled  provoca- 
tion? The  petition  of  Jesus  praying  for 
his  murderers  is  the  most  thrilling  event 
in  all  the  Bible. 

How  we  all  need  the  lesson  of  this  ex- 
ample !  How  we  fly  off  the  handle  at  the 
slightest  injury!  How  even  the  smallest 

107 


108  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

offense  rankles  in  our  heart!  How  slow 
we  are  to  forgive  and  forget !  How  hard 
to  bury  the  hatchet!  How  often,  with 
the  handle  sticking  out,  we  are  ready  to 
seize  it  when  crossed  in  the  least  thing! 
But  here  is  the  Son  of  God  being  mur- 
dered, and  that,  too,  in  the  most  dis- 
graceful and  horrible  form  known  to  the 
world  of  his  day,  and  yet  as  he  hangs 
by  the  piercing  nails  his  heart  overflows 
with  love  and  compassion  for  his  mur- 
derous foes,  and  he  prays,  "Father,  for- 
give them;  for  they  know  not  what  they 
do." 

"Forgive"  Jesus  says.  That  is  a  great 
word.  To  do  that  is  to  do  a  great  thing, 
a  godlike  thing.  To  forgive  is  to  over- 
look and  pass  by  an  offense;  to  cease  to 
think  of  it  or  cherish  it;  to  restore  the 
offender  to  the  place  he  forfeited;  to  put 
him  back  where  he  was  before;  to  forget 
the  offense  and  treat  it  as  though  it  had 
never  been  committed.  Jesus  asks  his 
Father  to  do  all  this  toward  his  mur- 
derers! And  it  means  that  he  himself 
had  already  forgiven  them! 


A   THRILLING    PRAYER  109 

But  of  course  he  does  not  expect  his 
Father  to  do  it  unconditionally.  They 
must  be  brought  to  see  their  own  guilt, 
acknowledge  it,  repent  of  it  and  turn 
away  from  it.  To  forgive  men  before 
they  do  this  is  to  confirm  them  in  their 
evil  course  and  encourage  them  to  con- 
tinue therein.  Jesus'  prayer,  therefore, 
was  not  answered  instantly,  but  was  an- 
swered on  the  day  of  Pentecost,  and 
thereafter.  When,  under  Peter's  scathing 
arraignment,  "Ye  denied  the  Holy  and 
Righteous  One,  and  asked  for  a  mur- 
derer to  be  granted  unto  you,  and  killed 
the  Prince  of  life;  whom  God  raised 
from  the  dead;  whereof  we  are  wit- 
nesses," the  people  sought  forgiveness 
through  faith,  repentance,  confession  and 
obedience,  then,  and  not  until  then,  was 
it  granted.  Every  convert  made  in  JeruT 
salem  and  throughout  Judea  of  those 
concerned  in  the  accusation,  condemna- 
tion and  crucifixion  of  Christ  was  an 
answer  to  Jesus'  prayer,  "Father,  for- 
give them." 

Our  attitude  to  those  who  injure  us 


110  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

must  be  the  same  as  that  of  Jesus  to  his 
murderers.  Revenge  and  hatred  must 
not  rankle  in  the  heart.  Malice  must 
have  no  place  therein.  We  must  have 
a  forgiving  spirit.  We  must  be  willing, 
ready,  anxious  to  forgive.  But  we  can 
not  forgive  fully  until  the  offender  re- 
pents. Nor  is  it  right  that  we  should. 
Every  sin  is  a  two-edged  sword.  It  cuts 
two  ways — into  the  heart  of  him  who 
commits  it,  and  into  the  heart  of  him 
against  whom  it  is  directed.  Now,  so 
far  as  it  hurts  you,  you  can  afford  to 
pass  it  by  and  forgive;  but  in  so  far  as 
it  hurts  him  who  commits  it,  you  can 
not  until  it  has  been  healed  by  repent- 
ance. Otherwise  you  encourage,  justify 
and  approve  of  sin.  The  great  end  of 
every  Christian  when  sinned  against  is 
to  save  his  brother.  That  is  the  supreme 
thing  now.  How  can  you  save  him  from 
the  evil  of  his  own  heart?  Certainly  not 
by  treating  him  the  same  as  before,  but 
by  endeavoring  as  best  you  can  to  get 
him  to  see,  acknowledge  and  repent  his 
sin.  That  alone  can  save  him.  And 


A   THRILLING   PRAYER  111 

then  alone  can  you  fully  forgive  him. 
The  reason  Jesus  could  utter  this  sub- 
lime and  thrilling  prayer  of  forgive- 
ness was  that  the  crime  his  murderers 
were  committing  was  made  pardonable 
by  ignorance.  "For  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  They  did  not  know  what  an 
awful  crime  was  staining  their  hands. 
When  they  afterward  came  to  know,  it 
appalled  them  and  they  cried  out,  "What 
shall  we  do?"  But  just  now  they  had 
no  adequate  conception  of  their  guilt. 
"To  him  that  knoweth  to  do  good,  and 
doeth  it  not,  to  him  it  is  sin."  But 
when  a  man  does  not  know,  then  his 
guilt  is  greatly  palliated,  though  not 
excused.  Ignorance  lessens  it.  Jesus 
plainly  teaches  that  Tyre  and  Sidon  are 
to  have  consideration  over  Bethsaida  and 
Chorazin,  and  Sodom  over  Capernaum, 
in  the  day  of  judgment,  because  they  had 
less  light  and  knowledge.  Paul  obtained 
mercy  for  persecuting  the  church  because 
he  did  it  ignorantly  in  unbelief.  The 
heathen  will  be  recipients  of  God's  faith- 
fulness and  justice  because  they  know 


112  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

not  the  truth.  God  is  not  unjust.  He 
will  not  hold  men  responsible  for  dis- 
obeying the  law  of  which  they  never 
heard.  The  Judge  of  all  the  earth  will 
do  right.  And  he  will  consider  the  igno- 
rance in  our  own  land — the  ignorance 
that  results  from  the  absence  of  ad- 
vantage and  opportunity,  and  from  in- 
born and  instilled  vices,  prejudices,  pre- 
possessions and  all  the  influences  which 
warp  men's  minds  and  prevent  a  clear 
apprehension  of  the  truth. 

But  while  ignorance  palliates  sin  and 
makes  it  pardonable,  it  does  not  ex- 
cuse or  justify  it.  In  spite  of  their  igno- 
rance, these  people  were  guilty  of  sin 
and  needed  forgiveness.  There  is  no 
point  to  Jesus'  prayer  if  ignorance  ex- 
cuses sin.  He  asked  his  Father  to  for- 
give them  because  they  were  sinners, 
however  great  their  ignorance.  While 
Paul  obtained  mercy  because  of  his  igno- 
rance, yet  he  calls  himself  "the  chief  of 
sinners."  While  "the  servant  that  knew 
not,  and  did  things  worthy  of  stripes, 
shall  be  beaten  with  few  stripes,"  yet 


A   THRILLING   PRAYER  113 

shall  he  be  beaten  with  stripes.  While  it 
will  be  more  tolerable  for  Sodom  and 
Tyre  than  for  the  cities  which  enjoyed 
the  light  of  Christ's  presence,  yet  it  will 
not  be  wholly  tolerable  for  them.  While 
Peter  assured  the  murderers  of  Christ, 
"I  know  that  in  ignorance  ye  did  it,  as 
did  also  your  rulers,"  yet  he  has  them 
to  understand  that  "ye  by  the  hand  of 
lawless  men  did  crucify  and  slay."  There 
is  no  mistaking  their  guilt.  None  are 
so  ignorant  but  they  have  some  ideas  of 
right.  Even  heathen  nations  have  some 
light,  and  according  as  they  treat  the 
light  they  have,  will  God  deal  with  them. 
The  murderers  of  Christ  knew  not  the 
enormity  of  their  great  sin,  but  they  had 
some  consciousness  of  it,  however  faint, 
enough  to  have  stayed  their  hands.  The 
reason,  therefore,  that  ignorance  does  not 
fully  excuse  sin  is  that  it  is  never  abso- 
lute. 

Our  duty  to  religious  ignorance  is  to 
spread  the  light.  "Go  into  all  the  world, 
and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  creature." 
People  will  sometimes  say,  "If  ignorance 

(9) 


114  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

makes  sin  pardonable,  why  enlighten  the 
ignorant?  Why  send  missionaries  to  the 
heathen,  if  they  are  not  responsible?" 
For  the  same  reason  Jesus  authorized  his 
apostles  to  preach  to  his  murderers !  For 
the  same  reason  we  don't  quit  preach- 
ing here  at  home!  If  the  argument 
proves  anything,  it  proves  that  we  should 
tear  down  every  church,  silence  every 
preacher,  burn  every  Bible  and  so  re- 
lapse into  heathenism !  Ah !  men  are  sin- 
ners in  spite  of  their  ignorance,  and  God 
wants  them  to  see  their  sin,  turn  from  it 
and  live  right  lives.  He  wants  them  to 
know  of  his  Son  and  be  transformed  into 
his  likeness.  He  wants  the  knowledge  of 
God  to  cover  the  earth  as  the  waters 
cover  the  sea.  He  wants  men's  hearts 
and  their  service. 

The  very  sin  these  murderers  com- 
mitted is  a  sin  of  which  every  man  who 
rejects  Christ  now  is  guilty.  To  reject 
Christ  now  is  the  greatest  sin  in  the 
world.  It  is  equivalent  to  the  crime  of 
those  who  two  thousand  years  ago  cried, 
"Crucify  him."  But,  unlike  those  mur- 


A   THRILLING   PRAYER  115 

derers  of  Christ,  men  to-day  know  what 
they  do.  Twenty  centuries  have  demon- 
strated his  power  to  save.  He  stands  as 
the  only  hope  of  men.  If  Jesus  prayed 
for  his  murderers,  how  much  more  for 
those  who  have  never  owned  him  as 
Lord  of  lords  and  King  of  kings.  He 
wants  them  to  turn  to  him,  and  experi- 
ence his  salvation — full,  free  and  ever- 
lasting. 


XIV. 
'IN  HIS  NAME' 


117 


XIV. 

"!N  His  NAME." 

Every  duty,  blessing  and  privilege  of 
the  gospel  comes  to  us  "in  His  name/' 
How  often  the  New  Testament  states 
this  fact  in  regard  to  Christ's  early  fol- 
lowers! If  they  preached,  they  did  it 
like  Paul  at  Damascus,  "boldly  in  the 
name  of  Jesus."  If  they  wrought  mir- 
acles, it  was  by  following  the  instruction 
of  the  Master:  "In  my  name  shall  they 
cast  out  demons."  To  the  lame  man  who 
lay  at  the  beautiful  gate  of  the  temple, 
Peter  said,  "In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Nazareth,  walk."  To  the  spirit  of 
divination  in  the  mind  of  the  sooth-say- 
ing maid  in  Philippi,  Paul  said,  "I  charge 
thee,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ,  to 
come  out  of  her."  If  men  were  called 
to  the  duty  of  repentance  and  the  bless- 
ings of  the  remission  of  sins,  it  was  after 
the  manner  of  Him  who  said  "that  re- 
pentance and  remission  of  sins  should 

119 


120  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

be  preached  in  his  name  unto  all  the 
nations,  beginning  from  Jerusalem."  If 
they  were  summoned  to  enjoy  the  priv- 
ileges of  justification,  it  was  after  the 
pattern  of  the  Corinthians,  who  "were 
justified  in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ,  and  in  the  spirit  of  our  God." 
If  commanded  to  obey  God  in  baptism, 
it  was  according  to  Acts  2 :  38,  or  the 
Ephesians,  of  whom  it  is  said,  "They 
were  baptized  into  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus."  "And  whatsoever  ye  do,  in  word 
or  in  deed,  do  all  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord  Jesus,  giving  thanks  to  God  the 
Father  through  him." 

There  was  a  time  when  the  name 
of  Christ  was  not  thus  used.  To  it 
Jesus  refers  when  he  says,  "Hitherto 
have  ye  asked  nothing  in  my  name." 
Previous  to  the  time  when  Jesus  spoke 
these  words  no  prayer  was  ever  uttered 
"in  his  name."  What  we  call  the  Lord's 
Prayer  makes  no  mention  of  Christ.  It 
ends,  "For  thine  is  the  kingdom,  and  the 
power,  and  the  glory  for  ever.  Amen." 
Even  that  is  an  interpolation,  and  Luke 


"IN    HIS    NAME"  121 

makes  it  end,  "And  bring  us  not  into 
temptation."  This  fatal  omission  makes 
the  Lord's  Prayer  to  us  an  invalid  prayer, 
unless  the  name  of  Christ  is  added  to  it 
in  some  way.  "No  one  cometh  unto  the 
Father,  but  by  me."  A  Christless  prayer 
now  is  no  prayer  at  all,  and  has  no  as- 
surance of  an  answer.  Parents  teach 
their  children: 

"Now  I  lay  me  down  to  sleep, 
I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  keep; 
If  I  should  die  before  I  wake, 
I  pray  the  Lord  my  soul  to  take." 

And  it  is  a  very  beautiful  sentiment, 
but  it  is  not  a  prayer,  unless  it  is  closed 
by  the  phrase,  "in  his  name."  I  care 
not  where,  or  by  whom  offered — in  the 
church  or  in  the  family,  in  the  lodgeroom 
or  the  open  field,  in  palace  or  hovel — 
a  prayer  that  does  not,  either  tacitly 
or  expressly,  plead  the  name  of  Christ, 
ascends  not  to  heaven.  This  has  been 
true  ever  since  Jesus  said,  "Hitherto  have 
ye  asked  nothing  in  my  name:  ask,  and 
ye  shall  receive."  "Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  If  ye  shall  ask  anything  of  the 


122  BEFORE    THE   THRONE 

Father,  he  will  give  it  you  in  my  name." 
It  was  in  consequence  of  Christ's  death 
on  the  cross  that  his  name  acquired 
such  tremendous  significance.  "And  be- 
ing found  in  fashion  as  a  man,  he 
humbled  himself,  becoming  obedient  even 
unto  death,  yea,  the  death  of  the  cross. 
Wherefore  also  God  highly  exalted  him, 
and  gave  unto  him  the  name  which  is 
above  every  name;  that  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  every  knee  should  bow,  of  things 
in  heaven,  and  things  on  earth,  and 
things  under  the  earth,  and  that  every 
tongue  should  confess  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  Lord,  to  the  glory  of  God  the  Father." 
So  that  Christ's  name  became  the  all- 
prevailing  name  after,  and  not  before, 
his  death:  "But  we  behold  him  who  hath 
been  made  a  little  lower  than  the  angels, 
even  Jesus,  because  of  the  suffering  of 
death  crowned  with  glory  and  honor." 
"He,  when  he  had  offered  one  sacrifice 
for  sins  for  ever,  sat  down  on  the  right 
hand  of  God;  henceforth  expecting  till 
,  his  enemies  be  made  the  footstool  of  his 
feet."  In  anticipation  of  that  time  He 


"IN    HIS    NAME"  123 

said  to  his  apostles,  "All  authority  hath 
been  given  unto  me  in  heaven  and  on 
earth."  And  the  first  time  they  stood 
up  to  preach,  they  said,  "Let  all  the 
house  of  Israel  therefore  know  assuredly, 
that  God  hath  made  him  both  Lord  and 
Christ,  this  Jesus  whom  ye  crucified." 
His  name  then  began  its  power,  for  it 
marks  the  time  when  he  took  his  seat 
on  his  mediatorial  throne  and  was  be- 
queathed the  scepter.  To  this  he  refers 
in  the  striking  words,  "Hitherto  have 
ye  asked  nothing  in  my  name:  ask,  and 
ye  shall  receive."  "Verily,  verily,  I  say 
unto  you,  If  ye  shall  ask  anything  of 
the  Father,  he  will  give  it  you  in  my 
name."  And  his  name  shall  continue 
thus  to  be  used  until  his  kingdom  has  be- 
come co-extensive  with  the  world.  "For 
he  must  reign,  till  he  hath  put  all  his 
enemies  under  his  feet."  The  reign  of 
Christ  on  earth  began  on  the  day  of  Pen- 
tecost. And  the  significance  and  power 
of  his  name  shall  continue  through  all 
the  centuries  of  the  Christian  dispensa- 
tion in  which  we  are  now  living,  until 


124  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

the  time  when  the  purposes  of  his  reign 
have  been  accomplished  and  he  hands 
over  the  kingdom  to  his  Father.  It  is 
analogous  with  the  mediatorial  reign  of 
Christ  on  earth,  began  when  it  began, 
and  will  end  when  it  ends.  And  to 
ignore  the  name  of  Christ  is  to  repudi- 
ate his  mediatorship  between  God  and 
man,  to  seek  to  pull  the  crown  from  his 
brow,  the  scepter  from  his  hand,  and 
to  dethrone  him  as  the  rightful  ruler 
and  lawgiver,  priest  and  prophet  of  the 
world. 

The  name  of  Christ  carries  with  it  the 
authority  of  Jesus.  What  is  done  "in 
his  name"  is  done  with  his  authority. 
To  do  anything  "in  his  name"  requires 
that  it  be  done  with  his  express  and  un- 
doubted sanction. 

His  name  makes  our  prayers  effective. 
"And  whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  in  my 
name,  that  will  I  do,  that  the  Father 
may  be  glorified  in  the  Son."  "Hitherto 
have  ye  asked  nothing  in  my  name:  ask, 
and  ye  shall  receive,  that  your  joy  may 
be  made  full."  He  is  the  great  lawyer 


"IN    HIS    NAME"  125 

who  never  refuses  a  client  and  never 
loses  a  case.  His  intercession  prevails  in 
our  behalf. 

"By  Thee  my  prayers  acceptance  gain, 

Although  with  sin  defiled ; 
Satan  accuses  me  in  vain, 
And  I  am  owned  a  child." 

As  a  watchword,  "In  His  name"  is 
unexcelled.  To  embody  it  in  our  creed 
and  to  exhibit  it  in  our  practice  is  to  be  a 
Christian.  No  higher  honor,  no  grander 
privilege,  belongs  to  any  of  the  souls 
of  men  than  belongs  to  him  who  lives 
and  moves  and  does  all  "in  His  name." 
There  is  no  sublimer  earthly  destiny  pos- 
sible to  man  than  falls  to  the  lot  of 
him  who  discharges  aright  the  obliga- 
tions which  the  name  of  Christ  imposes, 
and  lives  in  daily  illustration  of  the 
distinguishing  elements  of  the  Christian 
character.  Above  all  others  can  he  in- 
deed be  truly  said  to  live.  His  years, 
at  least,  do  not  fly  past  as  the  turning 
over  of  blank  leaves.  Every  line  of  each 
glowing  page  is  written  full  with  mes- 
sages that  speak  of  the  noblest  meaning 


126 


and  the  truest  purpose  of  life.  Fulfilling 
the  highest  aim  of  existence  and  making 
the  most  of  his  talents  and  opportunities, 
he  can  truly  say: 

"Take  the  name  of  Jesus  with  you, 

Child  of  sorrow  and  of  woe ; 
It  will  joy  and  comfort  give  you, 
Take  it,  then,  where'er  you  go. 

'"Take  the  name  of  Jesus  ever, 

As  a  shield  from  every  snare; 
If  temptations  round  you  gather, 
Breathe  that  holy  name  in  prayer." 


XV. 
LET  US  PRAY 


127 


XV. 
LET  Us  PRAY. 

We  praise  thee,  O  God,  for  the  pure 
and  lofty  spiritual  purpose  of  the  Word 
of  truth  to  guide  and  save  the  souls  of 
men,  to  make  known  the  world's  Re- 
deemer, to  unfold  the  plan  of  salvation, 
to  show  men  the  way  of  escape  from 
their  sins,  how  to  live  righteous  and  holy 
lives  here  and  attain  to  eternal  life  here- 
after. 

Help  us,  O  Father,  to  square  our  daily 
conduct  by  it,  to  feed  our  hungry  souls  on 
its  precious  truth,  to  drink  from  its  living 
fountains  of  waters,  to  allow  it  to  dwell 
in  us  to  cleanse  us  from  all  evil,  to  in- 
spire and  strengthen  us  for  all  that  is 
good,  to  accept  the  glorious  Saviour  it 
presents,  to  obey  the  loving  gospel  which 
it  brings,  to  enjoy  the  spiritual  blessings 
which  it  provides,  to  form  the  holy  char- 
acter it  enjoins,  to  live  the  blameless  and 
useful  life  it  urges,  to  try  and  reach  at 

(10)  129 


130  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

last  the  heavenly  home  it  promises  and 
pictures. 

And  may  we  heed  the  urgent  command 
and  supreme  necessity  to  speak  it  forth 
to  all  of  every  nation,  kindred,  tribe  and 
tongue,  until  all  shall  know  it  and  ap- 
propriate its  blessings  and  privileges.  In 
the  name  that  is  above  every  name,  we 
ask  it.  Amen. 


0  God,   I  come  to  thee  in   full  con- 
fession of  my  sins — my  real,  actual,  spe- 
cific sins.     I  confess  them  all.     I  make 
a  clean  breast  of  them.     I  have  been  un- 
truthful.    I  told  a  wicked  falsehood  to 
this  man,  another  to  that.     I  have  sworn 
profane   oaths.      I   have   been   dishonest 
in  trade.     I  cheated  and  overreached  in 
several  instances.     I  have  slandered  my 
neighbor.      I    allowed    my    temper,    my 
pride,  my  selfishness  to  get  the  better  of 
me   and   rule   my   spirit.      I    have   been 
guilty  of  unclean  thoughts  and  desires. 

1  want  to  turn  from  these  things  and 
turn   toward   thee   with   full   purpose   of 
heart.     Thou  hast  promised  forgiveness 


LET    US    PRAY  131 

and  cleansing.  I  covet  both.  I  need 
both.  Grant  me  thy  forgiveness  to  re- 
move the  guilt  of  sin,  cleansing  to  take 
away  its  love  and  practice  and  pollution. 
Thou  art  faithful  and  just  to  do  this — 
faithful  to  all  thy  promises  and  just  in 
rendering  to  all  their  dues.  And  back  of 
all  is  thy  infinite  love  and  mercy.  Thou 
who  forgivest  iniquities  and  healest  dis- 
eases, do  this  for  Jesus'  sake.  Amen. 


Thou,  O  Christ,  art  all  we  want  and 
need.  O  thou  Bread  of  life,  of  which  we 
may  eat  and  hunger  no  more;  O  thou 
great  Physician,  able  to  heal  all  our  dis- 
eases and  save  unto  the  uttermost  those 
who  put  their  trust  in  thee;  O  thou  great 
and  good  Shepherd,  who  assures  us  that 
he  knows  his  own  and  will  lead  all  to 
that  eternal  fold  whence  they  shall  go 
no  more  out  forever;  O  thou  light  to 
illuminate  the  darkness;  O  thou  true, 
lasting,  tried,  sympathetic,  all-knowing 
and  all-wise  friend,  who  sticketh  closer 
than  any  brother;  O  thou  cleanser  from 
sin  and  deliverer  from  its  captivity;  O 


132  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

thou  resurrection  and  the  life;  O  thou 
mighty  Advocate  with  God  through 
whom  blessings  come  to  us  from  the 
chalice  of  God's  grace — come  to  us  in 
these  varied  and  manifold  ministries  in 
which  thou  dost  meet  us  in  every  pos- 
sible exigency  of  life,  or  death,  as  the 
very  friend  we  need. 

In  thy  dear  name,  we  ask  it.     Amen. 


We  come,  dear  Father,  to  voice  the 
needs  of  those  borne  down  by  the  toils 
and  cares,  the  trials  and  sorrows,  the  sin 
and  guilt  of  life. 

We  would  remember  at  thy  throne  of 
mercy  those  who  know  the  ache  of  limb, 
the  weariness  of  brain  and  body  incident 
to  life's  unending  grind. 

And  we  would  have  thee  remember, 
gracious  Father,  the  afflicted  and  crushed 
by  life's  heavy  burdens  and  awful  sor- 
rows. 

And,  oh,  the  sin  and  guilt  many  are 
carrying!  What  a  load  is  upon  them! 
How  it  oppresses  and  drives  to  mad- 
ness and  despair!  How  it  consumes  the 


LET   US    PRAY  133 

strength  and  banishes  the  joy  of  life! 
Remember  them  in  thy  goodness  and 
mercy. 

Thou  dost  remember  them.  Thou  hast 
said,  through  thy  Son:  "Come  unto  me, 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden, 
and  I  will  give  you  rest.  Take  my  yoke 
upon  you,  and  learn  of  me;  for  I  am 
meek  and  lowly  in  heart:  and  ye  shall 
find  rest  unto  your  souls.  For  my  yoke 
is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  light."  Rest 
unto  their  souls.  Rest  from  anxious 
cares,  from  awful  sorrows,  from  terrible 
guilt.  Oh,  help  the  careworn,  sorrow- 
crushed,  sin-laden  to  accept  this  precious 
invitation  and  find  rest,  rest  forever,  in 
Christ's  name.  Amen. 


Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  know  how 
precious  in  thy  sight  thy  church  is.  It 
cost  the  life-blood  of  thy  Son.  The  toils 
and  tears  and  cares  of  thy  people  in  all 
the  ages  have  been  given  to  it  freely  and 
generously.  It  has  come  to  us  as  a  price- 
less inheritance.  May  we  make  and  keep 
it  "a  glorious  church,  not  having  spot  or 


134  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

wrinkle  or  any  such  thing;  but  that  it 
should  be  holy  and  without  blemish." 

We.  pray  that  it  may  be  a  church  glo- 
rious in  its  doctrine,  its  holiness,  its  work, 
its  unity  and  power,  its  conquests. 

Especially,  dear  Father,  do  we  pray 
for  the  primeval  glory  of  the  church's 
unity  and  power.  May  the  day  speedily 
come  when  there  shall  be  one  flock  and 
one  Shepherd.  May  the  Captain  of  our 
salvation  yet  command  an  army  that 
marches  to  battle  in  one  mighty  host  and 
under  one  all-conquering  banner. 

And  may  the  day  be  not  far  distant 
when  the  knowledge  of  the  Lord  shall 
cover  the  earth  as  the  waters  cover  the 
sea;  when  the  heathen  shall  be  Christ's 
inheritance  and  the  uttermost  parts  of 
the  earth  his  possession;  when  he  shall 
have  dominion  from  sea  to  sea,  and  from 
the  river  to  the  ends  of  the  earth.  May 
the  church  be  the  instrument  of  this  glo- 
rious consummation.  In  every  land  and 
continent  of  earth  and  island  of  the  sea 
may  it  unfurl  the  banner  of  the  Cross. 
May  the  globe  on  which  we  dwell  one 


LET   US    PRAY  135 

day  be  the  trophy,  through  the  church, 
of  Christ's  all-conquering  power.  In  his 
name.  Amen. 

"We  thank  thee,  O  Father,  for  all  that  is  bright— 
The  gleam  of  the  day  and  the  stars  of  the  night, 
The  flow'rs  of  our  youth  and  the  fruits  of  our 

prime, 
And  blessings  that  march. down  the  pathway  of 

time. 

"We  thank  thee,  O  Father,   for  song  and   for 

feast, 
The  harvest  that  glowed  and  the   wealth  that 

increased ; 

For  never  a  blessing  encompassed  earth's  child 
But  thou  in  thy  mercy  looked  downward  and 

smiled. 

"We  thank  thee,  O  Father,  for  days  yet  to  be, 
For  hopes  that  our  future  will  call  us  to  thee; 
That  all  our  eternity  form,  through  thy  love, 
One  Thanksgiving  Day  in  the  mansions  above." 

We  thank  thee,  O  Father,  for  the  se- 
curity of  our  homes,  the  freedom  of  our 
land,  the  facilities  of  Christian  education, 
all  the  best  attainments  of  the  present 
and  the  grandest  hopes  of  the  future. 
In  return  for  all  thy  benefits,  we  bring 


136  BEFORE    THE    THRONE 

to  thee  all  the  adoration  of  our  hearts, 
all  the  strength  of  our  noble  purposes, 
all  the  influence  of  our  lives,  the  full 
surrender  of  all  our  active  powers,  the 
complete  ownership  of  all  our  possessions. 
Beautify,  happify,  magnify,  glorify  our 
lives  in  so  doing,  as  thou  hast  promised. 
Control  us  completely.  Make  us  more 
like  Christ.  Do  it  for  his  sake.  Amen. 


We  are  thankful,  dear  Father,  for  the 
trumpet-calls  to  service:  "Go,  work  to- 
day in  my  vineyard;"  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature;"  "To  every  man  his  work." 
We  thank  thee,  O  Father,  for  the  purify- 
ing, sweetening,  strengthening  and  hap- 
pifying  power  of  service. 

We  thank  thee,  gracious  and  loving 
Father,  for  the  delightful  fellowships  of 
work.  We  have  fellowship  with  thee 
and  with  one  another.  We  are  laborers 
together  with  thee. 

And,  oh,  the  assurance  of  victory !  The 
might  of  thy  omnipotence  is  pledged  to 
it.  Every  foe  shall  go  down  before  thee. 


LET   US    PRAY  137 

Every  obstacle  shall  disappear.  Every 
difficulty  shall  vanish  like  the  mist. 
Around  thy  throne  on  high  we  shall  wave 
the  palm  branches  of  eternal  triumph. 

May  we,  then,  engage  in  well-doing, 
in  continual  well-doing,  and  engage  in  it 
confidently  and  hopefully.  May  we  go 
forward  in  the  path  and  work  of  life 
with  renewed  strength  and  usefulness. 
May  we  feed  the  hungry,  clothe  the  desti- 
tute, minister  to  the  unfortunate,  enter- 
tain the  stranger,  make  this  land  Im- 
manuel's  land,  extend  thy  kingdom  until 
it  shall  be  coextensive  with  the  globe,  and 
make  the  desert  places  blossom  like  the 
garden  of  the  Lord.  Freely  we  have  re- 
ceived, freely  may  we  give.  We  ask  it, 
for  Jesus'  sake.  Amen. 


Help  us,  our  Father,  to  get  into  har- 
mony with  thy  purpose  concerning  us. 
Thou  dost  seek  our  spiritual  not  material, 
our  eternal  not  temporal,  our  highest  and 
not  lowest  good.  Help  us  to  see  in  the 
events  and  experiences  of  our  lives,  be 
they  sunshine  or  shadow,  thy  providence 


138  BEFORE   THE   THRONE 

making  all  things  work  together  for  our 
good. 

May  we  trust  thee  implicitly,  believe 
the  precious  promise,  take  thee  at  thy 
word.  As  the  passengers  on  shipboard 
on  a  dark  night  in  the  trackless  ocean 
trust  the  hand  at  the  helm,  so  teach  us 
to  trust  thy  almighty  hand  that  guides 
our  lives. 

And  help  us  to  hold  fast  to  our  love 
for  thee.  Thou  art  love.  It  dictates  thy 
acts.  Though  our  lot  be  a  sad  one, 
though  it  be  all  night  and  darkness,  yet 
may  we  know  that  things  do  work  for 
good  to  them  that  love  thee. 

We  rejoice  in  the  security  this  promise 
vouchsafes  to  us.  The  very  angels  en- 
camp round  about  us  as  a  defending  wall 
of  fire.  Gibraltar  itself  is  not  so  im- 
pregnable as  are  we  encircled  by  thy  om- 
nipotent arm.  As  the  shadow  of  a  great 
rock  in  a  weary  land,  as  a  bubbling  foun- 
tain in  a  sandy  desert,  as  a  guiding  star 
through  the  rifted  clouds,  as  a  mighty 
anchor  to  the  tossing  ship  on  a  stormy 
night,  so  may  thy  sweet  promise  be  to 


LET    US    PRAY  139 

us  in  our  time  of  need.    In  Christ's  name, 
we  ask  it.     Amen. 


We  come,  dear  Father,  praying  for  de- 
cisions. We  have  presented  the  Christ 
and  his  claims.  We  have  preached  the 
gospel,  which  is  thy  power  unto  the  sal- 
vation of  every  one  who  believes  it.  We 
ask  now  that  men  may  believe  and  obey. 
Knowing  the  way  of  salvation,  may  they 
walk  in  it.  Having  been  informed  of 
their  duty,  give  them  grace  and  willing- 
ness to  do  it.  Like  Solomon,  may  they 
make  a  wise  choice.  Like  Moses,  may 
they  choose  rather  to  suffer  affliction  with 
the  people  of  God  than  to  enjoy  the  pleas- 
ures of  sin  for  a  season.  Like  Mary, 
may  they  choose  the  good  part  which 
shall  not  be  taken  away. 

And  may  they  choose  now.  Oh  the 
tremendous  now!  Now  is  the  accepted 
time,  to-day  is  the  day  of  salvation !  Life 
is  full  of  uncertainties,  repentance  put  off 
is  frequently  repentance  made  impossible, 
there  is  so  much  to  be  done  and  so  short 
a  time  in  which  to  do  it,  all  of  which 


140  BEFORE    THE    THRONE 

things  urge  immediate  action.  Oh,  may 
men  act!  Help  them  to  act  now!  May 
they  come  pleading: 

"Nothing  in  my  hand  I  bring; 
Simply  to  Thy  cross  I  cling; 
Naked,  come  to  Thee  for  dress; 
Helpless,  look  to  Thee  for  grace; 
Foul,  I  to  the  fountain  fly: 
Wash  me,  Saviour,  or  I  die." 

In  Christ's  name.     Amen. 


THE     END. 


A    000038138    4 


